Shake off stress in 60 seconds

Plus: How AI can help you appeal health insurance denials  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | November 12, 2026     Feeling stressed or annoyed? You've heard the advice before: just shake it off. But there's some truth behind the cliché, my colleague Angela Haupt learned. She asked experts why so-called "somatic shaking" works and exactly how to do it. Also in today's edition, Alana Semuels looks into the new trend of using AI to fight back against health insurance denials. A doctor who founded a company that helps patients do this told Alana he's seen it change lives. TODAY’S TOPICS AI vs. the insurer A “thinking couch” Why shaking off stress works The science exodus         THE QUOTE THAT STUCK ❝   Give patients the ability to argue articulately against the insurer, [and] you might actually change someone’s life.   Dr. Warris Bokhari U.S. health insurers routinely deny care to patients despite doctors’ orders, jeopardizing patients’ health and well-being. But certain companies are helping patients use AI to fight back against insurance denials.  For my new story on the topic, I interviewed Dr. Warris Bokhari, co-founder and CEO of one such company, Claimable. He told me that wording an appeal with AI’s help can mean the difference between getting a life-saving treatment and going without. –Alana Semuels Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY GUARDIAN FINANCIAL PUBLISHING The 5 Stocks Nvidia Can't Grow Without Every Nvidia chip needs servers, networking, power and a data center to run. Analysts say the smaller companies supplying those pieces have more room to grow, with price targets up to 55%. Get all five tickers texted to you free today. Unlock All 5 Tickers         AT HOME WITH AN EXPERT A place to take time to think Harriet Rumgay, a cancer epidemiologist at the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, sent us a photo of an inspiring spot in her home in France, overlooking a river. “I sit and have my coffee and breakfast”—typically Marmite on toast—“in that spot every morning” before getting ready for work.  “I like to think I can get some natural light next to the window to kick-start my circadian rhythm. I love watching the birds in the trees and the occasional boat chugging past,” she says. It’s the perfect place where she can step away from work and refresh her thoughts. —Veronique Greenwood          SPONSORED BY SUPERHUMAN AI 1,000+ Claude Prompts Top Professionals Actually Use at Work Claude can be your analyst, editor, and strategist. But most professionals are using it to fix grammar. These 1,000+ Claude prompts take it from grammar tool to your most powerful AI work assistant. Sign up for Superhuman AI and get: 1,000+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning Claim your free prompts         ONE SMALL CHANGE How to try somatic shaking for stress relief By Angela Haupt Imagine you’ve just washed your hands, and there’s no towel. Give them a gentle shake, and then let your arms join in. That’s the start of a stress-management exercise that may help loosen your tense muscles and give you a break from anxious thoughts, says Kim Penberthy, a clinical psychologist and professor of research in psychiatric medicine at the UVA School of Medicine. It’s a small movement experiment—sometimes called somatic shaking—that takes a minute or less, doesn’t require any equipment, and gives you something to try when telling yourself to calm down isn’t getting you anywhere. Here’s why shaking things out might help, plus how to give it a try. How does somatic shaking help with stress? Think about what happens when you’re replaying an argument or worrying about tomorrow’s big work presentation. Your mind is busy, sure. But your jaw might be clenched, your shoulders raised, and your neck stiff enough to make turning your head unpleasant. Shaking your body gives you a chance to notice—and loosen—some of that tension. “If you try to tense your shoulder and shake your arm, it’s sort of hard,” Penberthy says. Letting your arm hang loosely and gently moving it encourages you to relax those muscles. The movement also gives your mind something else to focus on. Instead of mentally rewriting the email you just sent, you’re noticing how your hands feel or concentrating on moving one leg at a time. That shift may briefly interrupt rumination—and remind you that you have a way to respond when you’re feeling stuck. Part of the relief, Penberthy says, is realizing: “I’ve got some ability to do something. I don’t have to just sit here and suffer.” Penberthy sometimes shakes things out herself. “I often do it after a very stressful day,” she says, especially when she notices her neck aching. The image that comes to her mind is athletes shaking out their limbs before heading onto the field: a mental and physical move.  Read the full story here.         SPONSORED TIME100 Most Influential Companies is expanding TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. With new Exceptional Workplaces categories, the TIME100 Companies publication is expanding to recognize businesses pioneering new approaches to how people work, from flexible and hybrid work to technology integration and career development.  Because it’s no longer just what you do, but how you do it.  Submit your company.         WHAT WE’RE READING The fallout of the Trump Administration’s gutting of science budgets continues, with young scientists increasingly deciding to leave the U.S. or science altogether, the New York Times reports. About half of adults with Long COVID saw symptoms improve by the three-year mark in a new study, reports Laine Bergeson for CIDRAP.  A mobile crisis unit in Delaware was designed to keep people who were experiencing mental-health crises out of emergency rooms and inpatient facilities. But the opposite scenario happened, Nick Stonesifer writes for Spotlight Delaware.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. 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How to check in on your friendships

Plus: What a weighted vest can—and can’t—do  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | November 11, 2026     Friendships are some of our most treasured relationships—and some of our most ignored. (While couples therapy is common, for instance, friendship therapy is not.) You and your best bud could probably use a five-minute friendship check-in. Later in this edition, my colleague Angela Haupt shows you how to do it. TODAY’S TOPICS What a weighted vest can—and can’t—do Inflation and mental health Charging for patient portal messages The 5-minute friendship check Why your alt-milk should be fortified         WORTH THE HYPE? Should you walk with a weighted vest? Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Image: Anthony Rosenberg—Getty Images) Your daily walk doesn’t have to get longer to get harder. Strapping on a weighted vest makes your muscles work more and ramps up the intensity of an otherwise low-impact workout. But claims that it’s a bone-density hack are ahead of the science: Research is limited, and a recent trial in older adults found that daily use didn’t prevent the bone-density loss that can come with weight loss. The verdict: Worth considering if you want to make walks or body-weight exercises more challenging. Start light—experts suggest 5–10% of your body weight—and try just 10 minutes before gradually building up. If you have balance problems or neck, shoulder, or back injuries, check with your doctor first. Read the full story here.         SPONSORED BY HUBSPOT FOR STARTUPS Sales Owns Retention, Not Just Closed Deals November 19th, 11am ET / 8am PT. Pebl’s Chief Business Officer, Dutta Satadip, joins The GTM Garage to show how Pebl merged Operations and GTM under one leader, and how it aligned goals and incentives across the customer lifecycle. You’ll also see how Pebl uses AI across that lifecycle and the stack behind prospecting, pipeline, and handoff to onboarding. 15 min conversation. 15 min open Q&A. For Seed to Series A teams. Request Your Spot         INSIGHT OF THE DAY Higher food prices and mental health High grocery prices might not only threaten a family’s finances and menu, but their mental health as well. That’s the finding of a recent study in the journal Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, based on data gathered in 2022 and 2023 by the U.S. Census Bureau.  The researchers divided people into categories based on how drastically they adjusted their coping behaviors as inflation pushed up prices. Some used relatively small strategies, such as switching to generic brands, while others made major sacrifices like taking on a second job, going without food, or delaying medical care to afford groceries. The researchers also analyzed the self-reported anxiety levels of participants.  Anxiety was highest among people who made a broad range of sacrifices. Further price increases were linked to relatively little additional anxiety in this group—possibly because their distress was already so high, the authors suggest. —Jeffrey Kluger         SPONSORED BY SUPERHUMAN AI 1,000+ Claude Prompts Top Professionals Actually Use at Work Claude can be your analyst, editor, and strategist. But most professionals are using it to fix grammar. These 1,000+ Claude prompts take it from grammar tool to your most powerful AI work assistant. Sign up for Superhuman AI and get: 1,000+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning Claim your free prompts         CAN THEY DO THAT? Can a doctor’s office charge you for messaging providers through your health portal? Yes. New billing codes introduced in 2020 enable clinicians to charge patients for time they spend addressing concerns asynchronously through a patient portal. While most doctor’s offices don’t do this, around 500 health care groups do, according to a 2024 report in JAMA. Whether they should bill is a fraught question. Clinicians can spend a lot of time on these messages, but commodifying the small interactions of a doctor-patient relationship may repel patients enough that theyto seek care elsewhere. —Alana Semuels         TIME TO TALK How to check in on a friendship Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Image: Giulio Fornasar—Getty Images) You know your best friend’s coffee order and feelings about her boss. But do you know whether she wishes you called more? A quick friendship check-in can surface the lovely things you haven’t said—and small hurts to address before they grow. Start with what’s working Over coffee or on a walk, ask: “What’s working for you in this friendship right now?” Then tell her specifically what you appreciate. Make room for honesty Try: “How do you feel about how often we talk?” or “Is there anything I could show up better for?” If the answer stings, listen before defending yourself. This isn’t a performance review; ideally, there should still be laughter. —Angela Haupt Read the full story here.         SPONSORED TIME100 Most Influential Companies is expanding TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. With new Exceptional Workplaces categories, the TIME100 Companies publication is expanding to recognize businesses pioneering new approaches to how people work, from flexible and hybrid work to technology integration and career development.  Because it’s no longer just what you do, but how you do it.  Submit your company.         WHAT WE’RE READING Could a cancer treatment help people with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder? Andrew Gregory at the Guardian reports on promising early results. Could your oat milk be missing essential nutrients? Margherita Bassi at Smithsonian explains why choosing fortified dairy alternatives matters.  Ethiopia’s health care system was once considered a model for Africa. But now, the country is experiencing renewed war and targeted attacks on hospitals, Durrie Bouscaren reports for NPR.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe