"Prioritize social bonds over diet and exercise Brigham Young University researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad tracked tens of thousands of middle-aged people for seven years, measuring every lifestyle factor from diet to smoking to exercise, and ranked which factors most reduced the risk of dying. "Close relationships — the people you can call on for a loan if you need money suddenly, who will call the doctor if you're not feeling well" — ranked as a stronger predictor of survival than exercise, weight, or even quitting smoking. Knowing this, someone could reasonably deprioritize an extra gym session in favor of scheduling a face-to-face lunch with a close friend. Source: Susan Pinker, TED Talk, The Secret to Living Longer May Be Your Social Life"