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Life Kit

Tools To Help You Get It Together
How to file your tax returns: 6 things you should know this year
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Life Kit

How to file your tax returns: 6 things you should know this year

For something that's legally required, taxes can be confusing. This guide explains when and how to hire a tax preparer, covers the latest credits and deductions — and helps you plan ahead for next year.

How to file your tax returns: 6 things you should know this year

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Dear Life Kit: Do I have to listen to my boss complain?
Photographs by Jair Medina Nossa/Unsplash; Becky Harlan/NPR; Collage by Becky Harlan/NPR

Perspective

Dear Life Kit

Dear Life Kit: Do I have to listen to my boss complain?

An employee struggles to cope with her boss's constant oversharing and negativity. Journalist and host of the podcast Work Appropriate Anne Helen Petersen shares advice for establishing boundaries ... with your boss.

Dear Life Kit: Do I have to listen to my boss complain?

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Dear Life Kit: My husband is living under COVID lockdown. I'm ready to move on
Photograph by Pam Menegakis/Unsplash; Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Opinion

Dear Life Kit

Dear Life Kit: My husband is living under COVID lockdown. I'm ready to move on

Three years into the pandemic, one spouse is ready to lift lockdown. The other? Not so much. Epidemiologist and science communicator Jessica Malaty Rivera shares ideas on finding compromise and managing a risk budget.

Dear Life Kit: My husband is living under COVID lockdown. I'm ready to move on

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Earthquakes happen all over the world. Here's how to start preparing for one
LA Johnson/NPR

Earthquakes happen all over the world. Here's how to start preparing for one

Earthquakes strike at a moment's notice. Here are seven steps you can take to help prepare your family, according to emergency and disaster preparedness experts.

Earthquakes happen all over the world. Here's how to start preparing for one

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What should you wear to run in the cold? Build an outfit with this paper doll

If you're going to exercise outside in cold weather, it's important to wear the proper clothes. Practice gearing up by printing out this paper doll below and adding layers depending on the temperature and conditions where you live. Paper doll illustration by Malaka Gharib/NPR; Photograph by Becky Harlan/NPR hide caption

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Paper doll illustration by Malaka Gharib/NPR; Photograph by Becky Harlan/NPR

Life Kit

What should you wear to run in the cold? Build an outfit with this paper doll

Athlete and activist Alison Mariella Désir and sports medicine specialist Dr. Kelechi Okoroha explain how runners should dress when temperatures drop to the 50s, 30s and below.

What should you wear to run in the cold? Build an outfit with this paper doll

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A meal prep influencer shares 6 of his favorite cooking hacks
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Life Kit

A meal prep influencer shares 6 of his favorite cooking hacks

What's for dinner? It's a question that can lead to overspending on delivery, unhealthy meals and dread. FitMenCook founder Kevin Curry shares meal prep techniques that can alleviate stress and save money.

A meal prep influencer shares 6 of his favorite cooking hacks

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What kind of perfectionist are you? Take this 7-question quiz to find out
Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR

Life Kit

What kind of perfectionist are you? Take this 7-question quiz to find out

Are you a 'Parisian perfectionist'? How about a 'messy perfectionist'? Psychotherapist Katherine Morgan Schafler believes there are 5 kinds of perfectionists in the world. Find out which one you are.

What kind of perfectionist are you? Take this 7-question quiz to find out

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Dear Life Kit: My 10-year-old bullies my 8-year-old. How do I make it stop?
Photograph by Michael Blann/ Getty Images; Collage by NPR

Dear Life Kit

Dear Life Kit: My 10-year-old bullies my 8-year-old. How do I make it stop?

​A sister relentlessly picks on her brother despite their mom's best attempt to make peace between them. Psychologist Becky Kennedy shares advice with a parent who feels out of ideas — and patience.

Dear Life Kit: My 10-year-old bullies my 8-year-old. How do I make it stop?

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I revamped my personal brand using this 5-step process. Here's how it went.
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Perspective

Life Kit

I revamped my personal brand using this 5-step process. Here's how it went.

Life Kit's Andee Tagle talks to networking coach Lynda Peralta about how to present her personal life and her professional life on Instagram. See how her experiment went, then try it out for yourself.

I revamped my personal brand using this 5-step process. Here's how it went.

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7 tiny hacks that can improve your to-do list
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Perspective

Life Kit

7 tiny hacks that can improve your to-do list

Is your to-do list helping you reach your goals? Or is it holding you back? Productivity experts explain how to level up your list so it prioritizes what matters.

7 tiny hacks that can improve your to-do list

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Anti-fatness keeps fat people on the margins, says Aubrey Gordon

Writer Aubrey Gordon wants to change the way people think and talk about fatness, including how the word "fat" is used. Beth Olson/Beacon Press hide caption

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Beth Olson/Beacon Press

Anti-fatness keeps fat people on the margins, says Aubrey Gordon

In her new book You Just Need To Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths About Fat People, Aubrey Gordon tackles the biases and myths that she says keep fat people on the margins of society.

Anti-fatness keeps fat people on the margins, says Aubrey Gordon

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5 New Year's resolutions to reduce your carbon footprint
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Life Kit

5 New Year's resolutions to reduce your carbon footprint

Lowering individual greenhouse emissions may be easier than you think. Here are some New Year's resolutions experts agree have an impact in addressing climate change.

5 New Year's resolutions to reduce your carbon footprint

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Dear Life Kit: I'm tired of my boyfriend's lack of ambition — and his gaming habit
Photographs by Ussama Azam and Clay Banks/Unsplash; Collage by Becky Harlan/NPR

Perspective

Dear Life Kit

Dear Life Kit: I'm tired of my boyfriend's lack of ambition — and his gaming habit

Can you successfully motivate someone else to change? Clinical psychologist Jody Adewale shares advice with a letter writer feels put off by her partner's lack of direction.

Dear Life Kit: I'm tired of my boyfriend's lack of ambition — and his gaming habit

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Food waste is a big problem. These small changes can help

There are steps you can take to reduce food waste while prepping, shopping and cooking. Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images

Food waste is a big problem. These small changes can help

Over one-third of the food produced in the U.S. goes uneaten, harming people's wallets and the climate. Here are some steps you can take in your supermarket and kitchen to cut back on waste.

Food waste is a big problem. These small changes can help

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Don't 'get' art? You might be looking at it wrong
Malaka Gharib/ NPR

Life Kit

Don't 'get' art? You might be looking at it wrong

Everyone can have a profound connection with a work of art. You just need the right mindset and attitude. Art professionals share tips on how to navigate museums and observe paintings and sculptures.

Don't 'get' art? You might be looking at it wrong

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The decluttering philosophy that can help you keep your home organized
Andrea D'Aquino for NPR

The decluttering philosophy that can help you keep your home organized

Got piles of stuff you just can't seem to get rid of? Professional organizer Star Hansen explains how to let go of unnecessary items – and keep your home neat and tidy.

The decluttering philosophy that can help you keep your home organized

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How to be a better movie watcher, according to film critics (plus a handy brochure!)
Malaka Gharib/ NPR

How to be a better movie watcher, according to film critics (plus a handy brochure!)

This guide — which comes with a fun brochure you can download and print at home — offers advice on how to pick a film, get outside your comfort zone and deepen your enjoyment of movies.

How to be a better movie watcher, according to film critics (plus a handy brochure!)

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