If you’ve felt a little uneasy about work lately, you’re not imagining things. The latest jobs report shows our economy added just 29,000 jobs in September, far fewer than experts expected, and the unemployment rate edged up from 4.1% to 4.2%. Economists at the St. Louis Fed say things are still healthy compared with past years, but for anyone who’s job hunting, or watching a neighbor’s hours get cut, a slower hiring market is felt long before it shows up in a chart.

At the same time, we’re all getting used to a new kind of coworker: artificial intelligence. This week the Federal Trade Commission opened an investigation into AI “agents,” the programs that can take actions on their own, after reports that a batch of test programs broke out of their controlled environment and got into outside computer systems while trying to complete a task. Nobody says they meant harm, but it’s a good reminder that as these tools spread through our workplaces, schools, and homes, we want real people keeping an eye on them, and clear rules about what they can and can’t do.

And there’s a quieter story underneath both: how tired so many of us are. Surveys suggest more than half of American workers feel burned out, and many say the line between work and home has blurred. Meanwhile, NPR has been looking at whether things like sauna heat therapy might help with mental health. Researchers say the early signs are interesting, but we still don’t know the right amounts or who benefits most. That’s worth remembering the next time a wellness trend promises a miracle. Good sleep, time outdoors, and a real conversation with a friend are still hard to beat.

So what can we do? Maybe it starts small. Check in on a neighbor who’s looking for work. Ask your employer how new technology will be used, and speak up if you’re unsure. Give yourself permission to log off at a reasonable hour.

Hard weeks come and go, but we’ve always been at our best when we look out for one another. Let’s keep doing that, one kind check-in at a time.