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Life Kit

Tools To Help You Get It Together
Deciding when it's time to end therapy
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Deciding when it's time to end therapy

Getting into therapy comes with its own hurdles, but what about knowing when to stop it? Moraya Seeger DeGeare, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has advice on how to figure out when it's time to end therapy and what actually to say when you do. Depending on the situation, ending with your therapist could involve anything from ghosting to a sit-down conversation.

Deciding when it's time to end therapy

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So you don't want kids. Here's how to respond to unwanted comments
Ana Galvañ for NPR

Perspective

So you don't want kids. Here's how to respond to unwanted comments

If you've decided not to have kids, your life will look different from what you might have seen growing up. Here's how to build your child-free life, with or without a long-term partner. We talk about finding community, planning for the future, making a financial plan and responding to some of the comments and judgments of other people.

So you don't want kids. Here's how to respond to unwanted comments

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Don't have the energy to clean today? Just tidy up these 5 things
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Perspective

Don't have the energy to clean today? Just tidy up these 5 things

Therapist and author KC Davis shares a framework to help you get a messy room back to functional quickly. She says that in any space, there are really only five things: trash, dishes, laundry, things that have a place, and things that don't have a place. We help you tackle them, one by one.

Don't have the energy to clean today? Just tidy up these 5 things

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Masculinity doesn't have to be restrictive. Here's how to redefine it for yourself
Tara Moore/Getty Images

Masculinity doesn't have to be restrictive. Here's how to redefine it for yourself

Restrictive expectations of masculinity can be perpetuated by anyone and impact how we view ourselves and others. We spoke with experts for tips on how you or those in your life can begin to redefine masculinity.

Masculinity doesn't have to be restrictive. Here's how to redefine it for yourself

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A big misconception about debt — and how to tackle it
Angela Hsieh/NPR

A big misconception about debt — and how to tackle it

Life happens, and so does debt. Unexpected car trouble, the high price of food, a family emergency — there is no shortage of reasons why debt can pile up. In this episode, we offer shame-free solutions for digging out of debt.

A big misconception about debt — and how to tackle it

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4 tips for saying goodbye to someone you love
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4 tips for saying goodbye to someone you love

Saying goodbye can be tough, especially if you're parting ways for good. But grief counselor and patient advocate Isabel Stenzel Byrnes says the art of saying goodbye to loved ones can be learned and practiced.

4 tips for saying goodbye to someone you love

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A career coach unlocks the secret to acing your job interview and combating anxiety
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A career coach unlocks the secret to acing your job interview and combating anxiety

How should you prepare in advance for a job interview? We discuss what questions to prep for, how to choose an outfit you feel your best in, and what to do if you get nervous. Plus, we walk through a mock interview to model how to answer common questions.

A career coach unlocks the secret to acing your job interview and combating anxiety

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5 things to remember when a friendship ends
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5 things to remember when a friendship ends

Not all friends are meant to last forever. Here are 5 things to remember if you're processing the loss of a friendship — or trying to save one that matters to you.

5 things to remember when a friendship ends

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Dear Life Kit: My boyfriend's parents pay for everything. It makes me uncomfortable
Photographs by Fabrizio Frigeni/Unsplash; Markus Winkler/Unsplash; Collage by NPR

Dear Life Kit

Dear Life Kit: My boyfriend's parents pay for everything. It makes me uncomfortable

She loves her boyfriend's parents, but their generosity feels inappropriate. Maya Lau, host of the podcast Other People's Pockets, weighs in on how to move forward.

Dear Life Kit: My boyfriend's parents pay for everything. It makes me uncomfortable

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4 pieces of advice for caregivers, from caregivers
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4 pieces of advice for caregivers, from caregivers

1 in 5 Americans are acting as unpaid caregivers. The work can be meaningful but also stressful. Caregivers give advice about how to approach the job, find support and make time for yourself.

4 pieces of advice for caregivers, from caregivers

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Medical bills can cause a financial crisis. Here's how to negotiate them
Shannon Wright for NPR

Medical bills can cause a financial crisis. Here's how to negotiate them

There's an estimated $195 billion of medical debt in America. But just because a medical bill comes in the mail doesn't mean you have to pay that exact price. Here's how to eliminate, reduce or negotiate a medical bill.

Medical bills can cause a financial crisis. Here's how to negotiate them

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5 questions you should ask your partner before getting married
Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop

Life Kit

5 questions you should ask your partner before getting married

It takes more than love to sustain a marriage. A marriage social scientist goes over five big questions to answer about your relationship and your values before getting hitched.

5 questions you should ask your partner before getting married

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How to show up for teens when big emotions arise
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How to show up for teens when big emotions arise

Being a teenager is hard. There are emotional highs and lows every day. Clinical psychologist Lisa Damour says instead of jumping into problem-solving mode, parents can learn to ride the wave of emotional management with their teens. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Damour about her book "The Emotional Lives of Teenagers."

How to show up for teens when big emotions arise

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This is the period talk you should've gotten
LA Johnson/NPR

This is the period talk you should've gotten

We asked two experts how they would give the period talk. Here are six pieces of advice — including the science of periods, management techniques, and how to know when something is wrong.

This is the period talk you should've gotten

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How to have the STIs conversation with a potential partner
Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images

How to have the STIs conversation with a potential partner

With Dr. Evalene Dacker, we lay out the science of STIs and then give you language to talk about them and, more broadly, about sex, with a potential partner. Because for something so fun, sex can be hard to talk about.

How to have the STIs conversation with a potential partner

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'Do I really need to floss?' and other common questions about dental care
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

'Do I really need to floss?' and other common questions about dental care

We asked experts to answer five questions about how to properly care for your teeth. Here's what they said about finding a dentist, whitening your teeth at home, and whether daily flossing is necessary.

'Do I really need to floss?' and other common questions about dental care

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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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