Who Else Belongs in Our Social Circle?

Good Morning.

Most of us spend much of our lives surrounded by people close to our own age. School begins the pattern, workplaces often reinforce it, and friendships tend to form around shared stages of life.

That may be comfortable. It may also be limiting.

A recent study led by Stanford researchers found that adults with more age-diverse social networks tended to perform better on measures of fluid cognitive ability, the kind involved in reasoning, problem-solving and adapting to new information. Those with more age-diverse networks and day-to-day interactions were also more likely to be alive at the end of a 13-year follow-up period.

The study doesn’t prove that spending time with younger or older people improves cognition or extends life. But it raises an interesting question about what happens when our social world includes people who see life from a different point along it.

People at different ages often bring different references, concerns and assumptions into a conversation. That can require more explanation and occasionally more patience.

That difference may be part of its value.

The researchers also found that people naturally interacted most often with others close to their own age. Age diversity, in other words, wasn’t the default.

We often think about social health in terms of how many people we know, how often we see them and whether we feel connected. This research suggests there may be another dimension worth considering.

Who is in the mix may matter too.

A social circle made up of people who remember many of the same things and occupy roughly the same stage of life can be deeply satisfying. But relationships across generations may expose us to experiences and ways of thinking we wouldn’t otherwise encounter.

Perhaps one of the overlooked benefits of connection isn’t simply having people around us.

It’s having people around us who see life from somewhere else.

Source: Growney, Carstensen & English, “Benefits of Age-Diverse Social Worlds,” The Gerontologist (2026).

Longevity

The Long Game
One small thing for a longer life

Try This

This week, call someone instead of texting them.

Not a scheduled call or an important conversation. Just notice a text exchange you’d normally keep going and, instead of sending the next message, pick up the phone.

Researchers who compared voice conversations with text-based communication found that people felt more connected when they could hear the other person’s voice. Interestingly, many participants expected talking to feel more awkward than typing, but that awkwardness largely failed to materialize.

The call doesn’t have to become an event. Sometimes a few minutes of hearing someone laugh, hesitate, tell a story or simply say hello carries something a string of messages doesn’t.

So pick one person this week and call.

You may be reminded why hearing someone’s voice still matters.

The way we stay connected to the people we care about is one piece of a bigger picture. The Worthyest Longevity Index measures six factors that shape how well we age in 4 minutes. Yours, personalized.

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The Curiosity Edit

Today’s Insight: Gut Health & Longevity

The Secret to Slower Aging May Be Hiding in Your Gut

Researchers are finding new clues that the gut microbiome may be tied to the pace of biological aging. A new study adds another piece to the puzzle, suggesting that the relationship may be more important than previously understood. Read the full story here.

Modern Living:

Relationships & Communication

How to Deal With an Annoying Person

Some people can take up far more mental space than we’d like, especially when avoiding them isn’t an option. A few simple questions can help loosen that frustration without requiring us to pretend the person isn’t irritating. Read the full story here.

Health & Wellness

New Ways to Think About Movement and Monitoring

Health research continues to challenge assumptions about familiar practices while introducing less invasive ways to understand what the body is doing. This collection looks at what the evidence says about yoga, how core muscle activity may influence the brain, and why intestinal ultrasound is gaining attention for monitoring inflammatory bowel disease.

Yoga Put to the Test: What the Science Really Shows
Yoga is widely associated with flexibility, balance, and stress relief, but not every claimed benefit has been studied equally well. A closer look at the research helps separate established effects from assumptions that have outpaced the evidence.

Engaging These Muscles May Have an Immediate Effect on Your Brain 
The muscles involved do more than support movement and stability. New research suggests that activating these muscles may also influence the brain in ways that go beyond strength and posture.

No Prep, No Anesthesia: Why Intestinal Ultrasound Is the New Frontier of IBD Monitoring
Monitoring inflammatory bowel disease often involves tests that can be time-consuming or invasive. Intestinal ultrasound is emerging as a simpler option that may give doctors useful information without the preparation required for more traditional procedures.

The Conscious Plate:

Food, Nutrition & Elevated Living

What Food Can Do Beyond the Plate

Food choices can shape digestive comfort while also contributing nutrients that support health in other ways. This collection looks at when ginger may be most helpful for digestion, what makes pumpkin nutritionally interesting, and which foods may be easier or harder to tolerate with an ulcer.

How Pumpkin Is a Cancer-Fighting Superfood and 3 Recipes to Get You Started
Pumpkin offers more than seasonal flavor, with a nutrient profile that has drawn interest for its potential protective effects. The article looks at what makes it noteworthy and offers practical ways to work it into meals.

The Best Time to Eat Ginger for Digestion
Ginger has long been used to ease digestive discomfort, but timing may influence how useful it feels. Experts explain when it may make the most sense to include it and what to keep in mind.

Foods to Eat and Avoid if You've Got an Ulcer
Eating with an ulcer can be uncomfortable when certain foods aggravate symptoms. Knowing which choices tend to be gentler, and which may be worth limiting, can make meals easier to manage.

Final Note

This is what we leave you with. A thought to end the day, carry in your pocket, or come back to later. Nothing big. Just something to reflect on.

The Value of a Wrong Turn

Some of life’s best discoveries happen because we took a wrong turn and weren’t in a hurry to correct it. A mistake, detour, or unexpected change can lead us somewhere we never would have chosen on purpose.

Most of the time, we’re quick to fix what feels off course. But occasionally the better response is to stay curious long enough to see where the new path leads.

Not every wrong turn needs to become a lesson. Sometimes it simply becomes a place, person, idea, or experience we’re glad we found.

Pass It On

Sometimes a thought, an idea, or a perspective connects at just the right time. If something here feels like it might resonate with someone you know, share it with them.

Enjoy Worthyest? Share It With Someone.

Good ideas are even better when shared. If you've enjoyed something you've read in Worthyest, consider passing it along to a friend or someone who might appreciate a little more curiosity, inspiration, and useful insight in their day.

Your voice matters. Let’s inspire more people together.

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