Life Kit Everyone needs a little help being a human. From sleep to saving money to parenting and more, we talk to the experts to get the best advice out there. Life Kit is here to help you get it together.

Want another life hack? Try Life Kit+. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks an exclusive sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/lifekit.

Life Kit

From NPR

Everyone needs a little help being a human. From sleep to saving money to parenting and more, we talk to the experts to get the best advice out there. Life Kit is here to help you get it together.

Want another life hack? Try Life Kit+. Your subscription supports the show and unlocks an exclusive sponsor-free feed. Learn more at plus.npr.org/lifekit.

Most Recent Episodes

Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop

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

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1166789948/1166791737" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
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

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1165953653/1166449224" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
6 tips for raising happy houseplants
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

6 tips for raising happy houseplants

From monstera to snake plants, we'll walk you through how to care for your houseplants properly. Plus, troubleshooting tips for knowing when your plant needs water and how to get rid of pests.

6 tips for raising happy houseplants

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1165918946/1165924456" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
How an aerialist uses trapeze to teach students about consent
Bug Robbins

How an aerialist uses trapeze to teach students about consent

How do we learn to trust what our bodies tell us and express it to others? Aerialist Adie Delaney speaks with TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi about how communication, trust and safety in trapeze can provide valuable lessons on consent.

How an aerialist uses trapeze to teach students about consent

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/929549901/1165672960" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Ed Bock/Getty Images

Coping with the end of a friendship

Not all of our friendships are meant to last forever. Friendship expert Marisa Franco says losing a close friend can feel like we're losing a part of ourselves. In this episode, how to process the loss of a friendship — and tips on how to save ones that matter to us.

Coping with the end of a friendship

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1165070213/1165376242" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
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

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1164292797/1164870608" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Tricks to boost your credit score
LA Johnson/NPR

Tricks to boost your credit score

A strong credit score can make major purchases and financial transactions much easier. Here's how to make yours better and keep it high. (This episode originally ran in November 2020.)

Tricks to boost your credit score

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1009098931/1163516910" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Tara Moore/Getty Images

Defining masculinity on your own terms

The "man box" refers to the strict expectations we learn about what it means to be a "real man." In reality, those rules limit the way masculine folks believe they can move through the world. On this episode of Life Kit, stories and tips to break free of the "man box."

Defining masculinity on your own terms

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1163667777/1163670986" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
5 questions to ask each other before marriage
Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop

5 questions to ask each other before marriage

It takes more than love to sustain a marriage. In this episode, a marriage social scientist goes over the big questions to ask about your relationship and your values before getting hitched.

5 questions to ask each other before marriage

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1162385260/1163233335" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Braving the 'quarterlife' crisis
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Braving the 'quarterlife' crisis

Stuck between two conflicting desires and can't seem to move forward? Psychotherapist Satya Doyle Byock shares an exercise called "My Two Conflicting Selves" to help people find a compromise. (This episode originally ran in October 17, 2022).

Braving the 'quarterlife' crisis

  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1162338542/1162344577" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
or search npr.org