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Life Kit

Life Kit

Tools To Help You Get It Together
We answered your questions on safety, loneliness and anxiety during the holidays
Becky Harlan and Trish Pickelhaupt/NPR

We answered your questions on safety, loneliness and anxiety during the holidays

We asked for your questions on navigating the holiday blues. Clinical psychologist Andrea Bonior guides us through some rough patches involving family, money, loneliness and safety.

We answered your questions on safety, loneliness and anxiety during the holidays

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Stop before you shop! You can give meaningful holiday gifts without buying new
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Life Kit

Stop before you shop! You can give meaningful holiday gifts without buying new

Shopping secondhand can ease the environmental burden of holiday consumption — and save you money, too. Here are three tips to help you start cutting down this season.

Stop before you shop! You can give meaningful holiday gifts without buying new

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Stop being so mean to yourself. Here are 5 tips to help you break the cycle
Kristen Uroda for NPR

Stop being so mean to yourself. Here are 5 tips to help you break the cycle

Being self-critical comes naturally for a lot of people. It's easy to focus on the one bad review or the tiny flaw in an otherwise perfect presentation. Psychologist Joy Harden Bradford walks us through some strategies to quiet down those negative thoughts, including how to monitor and interrogate your negative self-talk and replace it with positive self-talk.

Stop being so mean to yourself. Here are 5 tips to help you break the cycle

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You don't have to drink to celebrate the holiday season
Becky Harlan/NPR

You don't have to drink to celebrate the holiday season

If you think alcohol is problematic for you, or want to avoid drinking too much, or just aren't the biggest drinker, here are some strategies for navigating end-of-year celebrations.

You don't have to drink to celebrate the holiday season

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How to talk about money, privilege with friends — before it's time to split the bill
Sol Cotti for NPR

Life Kit

How to talk about money, privilege with friends — before it's time to split the bill

Even among the closest of friends, conversations about money and privilege can be awkward. In this episode from Life Kit and The Cut, author Otegha Uwagba discusses how we can break that ice — before it's time to split the check.

How to talk about money, privilege with friends — before it's time to split the bill

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5 tips to help you stop being so late (or at least make you more honest about it)
PM Images/Getty Images

5 tips to help you stop being so late (or at least make you more honest about it)

People are late for lots of reasons — being overly optimistic, not accurately gauging how much time it takes to actually get somewhere, even being afraid of being early. Time management coach Rashelle Isip shares some tactics that can help you embrace punctuality and avoid that awkward apology for being tardy ... again.

5 tips to help you stop being so late (or at least make you more honest about it)

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5 tips on being a kinder neighbor and fostering a sense of community
Andrea D'Aquino for NPR

5 tips on being a kinder neighbor and fostering a sense of community

What does it mean to be a kinder, more caring neighbor? From Daniel Tiger's world of make-believe to Winnipeg, here's how to plug into your community, practice small acts of kindness and boost your mood. We'll also think critically about being neighborly when things get complicated.

5 tips on being a kinder neighbor and fostering a sense of community

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How to decide if freezing your eggs is right for you — and where to get started
Sol Cotti for NPR

Life Kit

How to decide if freezing your eggs is right for you — and where to get started

Freezing your eggs can open doors for your fertility. It's also emotional, time-consuming and expensive. Here are some things to think about before you decide to freeze your eggs — and what to know if you do, including how much it costs and how to prepare for the process.

How to decide if freezing your eggs is right for you — and where to get started

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To give better advice, try less fixing and more listening
Becky Harlan/NPR

Life Kit

To give better advice, try less fixing and more listening

When someone comes to you for advice, where do you start? This very meta episode of Life Kit explores how to give good advice to the people you care about. Hint: it's not always about fixing someone's problems.

To give better advice, try less fixing and more listening

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Want to make tastier, prettier pies? A baker tells us where to tart

Lauren Ko, baker, artist and author of Pieometry. Harper Collins hide caption

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Harper Collins

Life Kit

Want to make tastier, prettier pies? A baker tells us where to tart

Just in time for Thanksgiving, self-taught baker Lauren Ko shares her tips for making better — and more beautiful — pies.

Want to make tastier, prettier pies? A baker tells us where to tart

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Good conversations take time and attention. Here's how to have better ones
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Life Kit

Good conversations take time and attention. Here's how to have better ones

Having good conversations is an art form. NPR's Sam Sanders tapped longtime radio host and podcaster Celeste Headlee for her tips for really listening and connecting.

Good conversations take time and attention. Here's how to have better ones

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How to carry on a family recipe, in your own way
LA Johnson/NPR

Life Kit

How to carry on a family recipe, in your own way

Making a family recipe for the first time can be daunting. Will it turn out just like you remembered? In this episode, podcaster Noor Wazwaz walks us through what to remember in the kitchen.

How to carry on a family recipe, in your own way

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Every family has stories to tell. Here's how to document yours

Kim Hawley and her father Jim Scherman nap on the couch in 1993. It can be helpful to start your interview with a warm-up question, such as sharing a favorite memory from childhood. Photograph by Gee Scherman; Collage by Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

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Photograph by Gee Scherman; Collage by Becky Harlan/NPR

Every family has stories to tell. Here's how to document yours

Learning stories about our loved ones helps us to better understand the trajectory of their lives — and it helps us make sense of our own story. Here are five tips to guide you as you document your family history.

Every family has stories to tell. Here's how to document yours

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This Thanksgiving, here's how you can cook smarter, not harder
Sophia Pappas for NPR

This Thanksgiving, here's how you can cook smarter, not harder

This Thanksgiving, New York Times food writer Eric Kim is on a mission to help you spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying your food and your company. These tips and recipes will help you cook smarter, not harder. And you don't need a lot — just a skillet and a sheet pan. Oh, and a turkey.

This Thanksgiving, here's how you can cook smarter, not harder

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Caught in pandemic limbo? Here's how to rebound from life's interruptions
Mar Hernández for NPR

Caught in pandemic limbo? Here's how to rebound from life's interruptions

Writer Suleika Jaouad has made a career out of covering folks living in the 'in between' spaces — starting with herself. Diagnosed with leukemia at 22, she embraced writing as a way to regain narrative control of her life. She shares lessons on making peace with uncertainty and transforming isolation into creative solitude.

Caught in pandemic limbo? Here's how to rebound from life's interruptions

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Most students who want to transfer colleges don't. Here's how to start
Annelise Capossela for NPR

Most students who want to transfer colleges don't. Here's how to start

Most students who want to transfer colleges don't. The process can be complicated and confusing and differ from state to state and institution to institution. Despite these hurdles, transferring is a common route to a four-year college. So how do you make the process go as smoothly as possible? Start early, stay organized and find a good fit.

Most students who want to transfer colleges don't. Here's how to start

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You can't control time, but you can change your relationship with the clock

The more actively we can accept and embrace our limited time on Earth, posits author Oliver Burkeman, the easier it becomes to spend our time on what matters most to us. Minnie Phan for NPR hide caption

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Minnie Phan for NPR

You can't control time, but you can change your relationship with the clock

You've got only 4,000 weeks to live, give or take. While that may come as a brutal dose of reality, it's also an opportunity to think about how you're spending that time.

You can't control time, but you can change your relationship with the clock

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How to build a healthy sleep routine for you and your kids
Nicky Lloyd/Getty Images

Life Kit

How to build a healthy sleep routine for you and your kids

Getting enough sleep helps you focus, retain information and helps to fortify your immune system. For parents and caretakers struggling to get their little ones to bed on time, here are tips on establishing healthy sleeping habits — that can benefit your entire family.

How to build a healthy sleep routine for you and your kids

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How to wake up early, even if you're not a morning person
Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

How to wake up early, even if you're not a morning person

Waking up at dawn with the bakers and the baristas may not be for everyone — especially night owls. Whether you have to wake up early or you'd like to become more of a morning lark, here are a few habits that can help you set yourself up for success at that first alarm.

How to wake up early, even if you're not a morning person

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6 tips to help you pick the right health insurance plan
Subin Yang for NPR

Shots - Health News

6 tips to help you pick the right health insurance plan

The open enrollment period to buy health insurance on HealthCare.gov starts now and runs through Jan. 15, 2022. Look for more options and expanded subsidies this year — and more help signing up.

6 tips to help you pick the right health insurance plan

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