Before you cancel plans, try a smaller get-together

Plus: The trick to making boring stuff less mundane, the 100-year-old bowler, and more health news  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | October 08, 2026     Sometimes, what feels good in the moment isn’t the healthiest choice. Venting. Procrastinating. The chocolate chip cookie I’m eating right now. And canceling plans with your friends. It’s often tempting to stay in after a long day, but meeting a friend face to face is one of the best ways to nurture your social life—and, in turn, your health. So don’t send that “sorry, but…” text just yet. Read on: my colleague Angela Haupt has advice about what to do instead of canceling your plans. TODAY’S TOPICS Stop doing boring stuff alone Got a question for us? Try a smaller get-together Meet the 100-year-old bowler         QUICK CHAT Do boring things together There are few things I enjoy less than the administrative debris of adult life: paying bills, clearing out my inbox, making appointments, and tackling whatever else I’ve been pretending doesn’t exist. But while I was interviewing social-relationships researcher Katherine Fiori, she introduced me to a way to make it all considerably less miserable: Invite a friend over. —Angela Haupt, Editor, Health & Wellness This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Tatiana Maksimova—Getty Images You told me people are having “admin nights” with their friends. What exactly are those? You get together with a group of friends, sit with your laptops, and do all the administrative tasks you’ve been putting on the back burner. You might be paying bills, getting off email lists, or taking care of whatever else you have to do in your day-to-day life. Why do you think that’s such a smart idea? Normally, those tasks require time and energy that take away from your social relationships. So being able to combine the two is kind of brilliant. You’re getting something done that you needed to do anyway, but you're doing it alongside other people. Does it really count as socializing if everyone’s staring at their own laptop? Absolutely. Even if you’re doing something stupid like paying bills or getting off email lists, you have someone beside you. You’re joking and having conversations. You’re getting that social interaction instead of sitting there doing everything alone. So we don’t always need to plan something exciting to get the benefits of being together? No. The need for belonging is universal. The exact way people connect varies, but you can benefit from simply being with other people—even while you’re all doing tasks you would otherwise be doing alone.         SPONSORED 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         PLEASE ADVISE Ask the health team Have a burning health or wellness question? Wondering how to handle a tricky social situation? Please write to healthmatters@time.com, and we’ll weigh in weekly in the newsletter. Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Images: Alina Kolyuka, Swan222, Heroik/Danial Project via Canva)         ONE SMALL CHANGE Don’t cancel your plans. Shrink them The sushi dinner you planned last week sounded delightful at the time. But tonight, putting on real pants and traveling across town feel like a preposterous proposition. Before canceling, identify the draining part and make it smaller: Turn dinner into a 20-minute walk, order pizza in sweatpants, or say, “I really want to see you, but I’m running on fumes. Would you be up for takeout at my place?” —A.H.         SPONSORED Your K-Cups Sat in a Warehouse for Months Grocery store pods spend months going factory → warehouse → truck → shelf, losing the flavor oils that make coffee taste like coffee. Angelino's roasts, packs, and ships within days — 50+ flavors, compatible with Keurig®, from 39¢ a cup. New customers save 15%, no code needed. Try Fresh-Roasted Pods         WHAT WE’RE READING People are more likely to take health advice when they believe that their concerns and experience are being taken seriously, writes Dr. Megan L. Ranney for TIME. “Medicare for All” might sound good, but how could it be implemented? Elisabeth Rosenthal for KFF looks into it.  At age 100, William Owen Hanna is still bowling strikes. Matteo Iadonisi at 6abc Philadelphia introduces the Pennsylvania centenarian who has no plans to retire his bowling shoes.         SPONSORED Is your company shaping the future? TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. Every year, TIME asks what it means for a company to be influential. Every year, the answer changes. With expanded recognition opportunities to celebrate influence across industries, impact initiatives, and, for the first time, workplace innovation, there are more ways than ever to stand out. Submit your company.        More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +D.C. 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

Why a Russian lab worker’s death worries experts

Plus: what to say when someone shows up sick, a grieving mother’s hope for healing, and more health news  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | October 07, 2026     This week, we’ve been following a concerning story out of Russia, where a 28-year-old employee of an anti-plague research institute contracted pneumonia and died. Local reports alleging that she contracted pneumonic plague from a broken test tube have sparked alarm about the pathogen responsible. There’s still a lot we don’t know. Today my colleagues Veronique Greenwood and Dominique Mosbergen asked researchers who work in public-health policy and infectious diseases what worries them about the situation. TODAY’S TOPICS What to say when someone shows up sick Growing support for Medicare for All A leading expert on preparedness and plague A grieving mother’s hope for healing         TIME TO TALK What to say when someone shows up sick Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Image: Igor Suka—Getty Images) Your feverish colleague has plopped down beside you for a meeting. Or your dinner guest announces—right after hugging you—that they’ve felt terrible all day. Asking them to leave can feel rude, but it’s possible to say something tactfully. —Angela Haupt, Editor, Health & Wellness Give them a graceful way out At work, offer a concrete solution: “I’ll take notes and send them to you,” or “Would it help if I handled the client follow-up so you could head home?” If they insist they’re fine… You don’t have to win an argument about whether they’re contagious. Say: “I’m being extra careful right now, so I’m going to keep some distance.” Read the full story here.         SPONSORED Nvidia Is Worth Nearly 19 Times Every Silver Miner Combined The whole silver mining industry is valued at about $0.29 trillion. Nvidia alone is worth $5.41 trillion. That's why modest inflows can send silver stocks sharply higher. Our research team's free report explains how the silver market really moves, and where the opportunity is now. Read the Free Report         BIG NUMBER 66% The percentage of Americans who now support Medicare for All, according to the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll. The survey, which polled more than 1,300 Americans of any political affiliation who plan to vote in the midterms this fall, found that two thirds of U.S. adults now support the idea of single-payer health insurance, up from 53% who supported it in 2020. –Alana Semuels, Senior Correspondent         SPONSORED Your K-Cups Sat in a Warehouse for Months Grocery store pods spend months going factory → warehouse → truck → shelf, losing the flavor oils that make coffee taste like coffee. Angelino's roasts, packs, and ships within days — 50+ flavors, compatible with Keurig®, from 39¢ a cup. New customers save 15%, no code needed. Try Fresh-Roasted Pods         THE QUOTE THAT STUCK ❝   We are not nearly as ready as we need to be.   Dr. Ashish Jha, co-founder of BioRadar This week, Dr. Ashish Jha told me that the U.S. is unprepared for situations like Russia’s “plague” incident, which my colleague Veronique Greenwood and I wrote about today. Even if it doesn’t evolve into something more concerning, this incident reveals that we are ill-equipped for future outbreaks, no matter the pathogen. —D.M.         SPONSORED Is your company shaping the future? TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. Every year, TIME asks what it means for a company to be influential. Every year, the answer changes. With expanded recognition opportunities to celebrate influence across industries, impact initiatives, and, for the first time, workplace innovation, there are more ways than ever to stand out. Submit your company.          WHAT WE’RE READING Three years since the horrific Oct. 7 attack, Rachel Goldberg-Polin writes for TIME about the pain of losing her son, Hersh, and her hopes for healing. Voters trust Democrats over Republicans by a two-to-one margin regarding health care costs, according to a new KFF poll, Nathaniel Weixel reports for the Hill. Scammers are building fake health insurance websites ahead of open enrollment period, Jill Schlesinger reports for CBS News.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +D.C. 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