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