New research reveals the toll— 3 psychology-backed tips to fight back

Have you ever noticed how sometimes talking to certain people– be it a negative coworker or a nosy neighbour– ends up making you feeling drained, older, and snappier? You’re not imagining it. New research warns: “hasslers”—those people who stir drama, belittle, or complicate life—might literally speed up your biological clock. Funded by the National Institute on Aging and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study links regular hassler run-ins to chronic stress, spiking epigenetic biomarkers tied to faster aging. And so, while positive ties extend life; these energy vampires shorten it. Women, poorer-health people, and childhood trauma survivors report more hasslers. Co-workers and roommates top the list over friends. Here’s the science—and how to protect your health and years.