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Life Kit

Life Kit

Tools To Help You Get It Together
Creativity can't be forced. Take breaks, zone out to find new inspiration
Scott Bakal for NPR

Creativity can't be forced. Take breaks, zone out to find new inspiration

Do you ever try to be creative, but no matter how hard you try, struggle to access that spark in your head? This episode explains how to escape that creative rut — and it all starts with taking intentional breaks.

Creativity can't be forced. Take breaks, zone out to find new inspiration

Listen · 21:51
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Stressed about money? Scared to check your balance? These tips are for you
Cha Pornea for NPR

Stressed about money? Scared to check your balance? These tips are for you

If you wince every time you open up your credit card app or feel stressed just thinking about personal finances, here's how to curb money avoidance and train your brain to face your money woes head-on.

Stressed about money? Scared to check your balance? These tips are for you

Listen · 16:45
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Diet culture is everywhere. Here's how to fight it
Gracia Lam for NPR

Diet culture is everywhere. Here's how to fight it

In 2021, nearly half of all New Year's resolutions in the U.S. were based on weight loss. Why do we set these goals for ourselves? Diet culture, the social expectations that value thinness and appearance above all else can impact how we view our bodies and treat others. The good news is, we can free ourselves from this mindset.

Diet culture is everywhere. Here's how to fight it

Listen · 32:20
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Stressed? Instead of distracting yourself, try paying closer attention
Sol Cotti for NPR

Stressed? Instead of distracting yourself, try paying closer attention

It's counterintuitive, but an effective way to manage our negative reactions to life's stressors actually involves slowing down and paying very close attention. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction, explains how to begin a meditation practice — and how doing so can help you seize the present moment.

Stressed? Instead of distracting yourself, try paying closer attention

Listen · 17:30
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7 tips on giving a memorable toast for any occasion
Simone Noronha for NPR

Life Kit

7 tips on giving a memorable toast for any occasion

It's the wild card of every big event — the toast. If you're giving a new year's toast, a best man or maid of honor speech, or any other toasts this coming year, we've got some tips to make sure people remember your toast with fondness and not horror.

7 tips on giving a memorable toast for any occasion

Listen · 20:26
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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

Listen · 23:56
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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

Listen · 11:13
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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

Listen · 20:51
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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

Listen · 4:19
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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

Listen · 16:58
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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)

Listen · 17:50
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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

Listen · 20:52
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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

Listen · 22:34
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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

Listen · 20:30
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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

Listen · 14:41
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Good conversations take time and attention. Here's how to have better ones
Maskot/Getty Images

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

Listen · 18:27
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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

Listen · 19:32
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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

Listen · 20:37
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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

Listen · 16:44
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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

Listen · 20:06
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