Life Kit

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.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

What should you do when there's a flash flood warning? In this episode, we'll walk you through why we're seeing an increase in flood events, what you should keep in your car in the event of a flood-related emergency, and how to get from point A to point B safely, if you have to drive during heavy rains.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Whether you're paying down credit cards or saving for daily necessities, the best place to start is with a budget. Some simple tools can help. (This episode first ran in November 2019.)To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Ahead of the U.N. climate talks in Glasgow this weekend, we're sharing this episode from our friends at It's Been A Minute with Sam Sanders.In this episode, Sam chats with climate experts Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, marine biologist and writer, and Kendra Pierre-Louis, senior climate reporter with the podcast 'How to Save a Planet.' Together, they answer listener questions about everything from how to talk to your kids about global warming... to how to deal with all of this existential dread.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Your skin is your largest organ. If you want to care for it without getting sucked into a wormhole of pharmacological-sounding jargon, this guide to building a basic skin care routine is for you. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It can be incredibly gratifying to harness mastery of a skill. But why is learning new things so hard? In this episode, we'll explore that question and give you three steps to start learning something new. Now all you need to do is decide what it is you want to learn!To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The climate crisis is here, and if you feel climate anxiety, that's a totally normal response. It's easy to feel overwhelmed or numb when you start thinking about the bigger picture, but it's important to let yourself feel all those emotions, says ecotherapist Phoenix Smith.In this episode, Smith talks about tools to acknowledge and use these feelings for the decades to come.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Unread emails can be a source of anxiety for a lot of people. So instead of trying to read, filter or delete everything in your inbox, what if you just ignored it?In this episode, New York Times technology reporter Taylor Lorenz shares how spending less time on email and changing the way she thought about online communication has increased her productivity and given her back hours of time.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

For expectant parents, navigating pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum can raise a range of emotions. There are so many things to think about and prepare for, and knowing where to start can feel daunting. But a birth plan can help!In this episode, Martina Abrahams Ilunga and Gabrielle Horton of NATAL, offer guidance on creating a birth plan that works for you, and makes it simple for your support system to pitch in. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Open enrollment is back again and with it, its confusing health insurance jargon. Here are some of those terms defined to help you choose the best plan for you.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

You've only got 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.In this episode, we talk to Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, about the idea of time management, why none of us will ever be in control, and how we can better decide what we spend time on, and ultimately, the moments that make up a life.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Strength training is a great way to exercise efficiently while preventing injury. But it can be nerve-wracking if you're worried about what other people think of you at the gym. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Food is more than just fuel for your body. Food is a connection to the stories of your ancestors and the stories of your descendants.In this episode of Life Kit, Michael W. Twitty, nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, and professor Devon Mihesuah share their advice on how to strengthen the ties to your food traditions.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Do you feel like you're not an organized person? Deb Perelman of the blog and cookbook Smitten Kitchen says she can relate. But when it comes to the kitchen, she's got a system that works for her. In this episode, she shares her tips for home-cooks working in small spaces with Shereen Marisol Meraji about it. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The five-day workweek can feel as preordained as the number of minutes in an hour, but it hasn't always been the norm. Workers fought for a Monday-to-Friday schedule before it became standard in the U.S. in the 1930s. Since then, the nature of work has changed a lot, and now, workers are once again fighting for better conditions, says U.K.-based researcher Will Stronge.In this episode, Stronge, who co-wrote the book Overtime: Why We Need a Shorter Working Week, discusses what has changed since the '30s and what a shorter workweek offers workers and organizations.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Rage, fear, possessiveness, sadness or all of the above — we all experience romantic jealousy differently, but the common denominator is the feeling of that inner alarm bell going off telling you you're going to lose your special someone.When mishandled, feelings of jealousy can lead to anything from internal strife to actual violence. But cultivated correctly, it can also be a "beautiful opportunity" to "deepen our awareness of what we want, who we care about and who we are". In this episode you'll hear how you can unlock jealousy's power. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid opens to potential college students to fill out on Oct. 1 for the 2022-2023 school year. Here's how to fill out the form to get money for college — and why you should apply now instead of waiting.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Research shows that suicide is preventable. And while surveys have shown that Americans know this, they might not know how to help someone who may be at risk.It's National Suicide Prevention Month, and we're looking at ways you can help if you know someone who is struggling.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Reading at school is one thing, but reading at home is important too. Though with busy schedules filled with after school activities, homework and lots of tech at kids' fingertips, it's not always easy to convince kids that reading isn't a chore. In this episode, Diana Opong helps us discover that there is so much joy — and value — to be found in reading aloud as a family.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We don't question whether our pets, friends or family have earned their right to exist, so why do we sometimes think about our own lives in those terms? What we learn about the value of productivity and the negative connotation of "laziness" is part of the problem, says social psychologist Devon Price.In this episode, Price, author of Laziness Does Not Exist, shares tips for rethinking the concept of laziness and how feeling "lazy" is actually a useful signal from our bodies and our deepest selves. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Getting interrupted. Getting ideas stolen. Being talked over and ignored in meetings. This happens to women, people of color and marginalized workers a LOT.So what should you do when you get interrupted or talked over or have an idea stolen in a meeting? In this episode, Stacey Vanek Smith, author of the new book Machiavelli For Women, goes over four ways to be heard in the workplace. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Whether you know it or not, you know somebody who is autistic. So if you think autism doesn't affect you, you're wrong, says Eric Garcia.In this episode, Garcia, author of We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation, talks about myths surrounding autism, how to talk about it and how to help your autistic loved one live their most fulfilling life. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Contemplating dating when you're 50 or older can feel daunting. But to find love, you usually have to date.In this episode, relationship experts give their best tips for figuring out what you want in a new relationship and getting back into the dating scene.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Exercise is important, but balancing exercise with mental health and your own body confidence can be a tricky thing to pull off.In this episode, we talk to experts about how to keep comfortable in your body as it changes, and how to find that balance while exercising.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Medical transition-related treatments like hormone replacement therapy are associated with overwhelmingly positive outcomes in terms of both physical and mental health for transgender people. But, it can be hard to know exactly how to get started.In this episode of NPR's Short Wave, reporter James Factora explains where to start, common misconceptions about HRT, and the importance of finding community through the process.You can read James' full reporting for VICE here.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Anxiety can feel like the enemy, and it's easy to want to obliterate those feelings. But that might not be the best approach, according to Wendy Suzuki.In this episode, Suzuki, author of Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion, outlines strategies to turn that sinking feeling into something productive.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

More companies are offering hybrid work schedules, allowing office workers to split their time between the office and home. A hybrid setup has plenty of benefits but can be challenging to navigate. These tips can help you and your team ease into it.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It's easy to get into debt, but harder to get out of it — especially if you don't have a plan. This episode offers strategies to help you pay off debt. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Receiving feedback doesn't necessarily have to be terrifying, according to Shanita Williams, a feedback coach, professor and author of Feedback Mentality.In this episode, Williams and Stacy-Marie Ishmael, a writer and editor, provide five tips to make receiving feedback a little less scary and something that's just part of doing the work. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Whether it's an apartment or a house, finding a place to rent can be taxing. It takes research, a disciplined budget and a strong sense of your priorities to find a place where you can feel like yourself.In this episode, we're giving you the ultimate checklist of things to consider as you're looking for your next place to live, including a detailed list of questions to ask the property manager.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Returning to in-person schooling is both a relief — and a source of great anxiety — for a lot of parents this year. The pandemic is still happening. The Delta variant is surging. And millions of children are too young to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The news changes fast — updates on vaccine trials and breakthrough infections seem to roll in every day — but there's still a lot the whole family can do to stay as safe as possible.In this episode NPR health reporter Pien Huang shares tips from public health experts — all parents themselves — for keeping kids safe at school. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

If you want to dip a toe in the starry seas of fantasy and science fiction, but you just don't know where to start, Pop Culture Happy Hour is teaming up with Life Kit for a handy beginner's guide. What's the difference between sci-fi and fantasy? Is there one at all? We'll cover all that and throw in some reading recommendations to get you going.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

People are making up for time lost during the pandemic. Weddings are happening again. People are hosting cookouts, and going on vacation. Some people are heading back to in-person school and adjusting to working from the office again. But the health crisis is not over, and people in different parts of the country are taking very different approaches to that fact.These different approaches and thoughts are presenting some tricky situations, like asking people if they have or plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, or requesting that someone mask up.To talk through some of situations, NPR's Michel Martin spoke with Steven Petrow, an opinion columnist with USA Today, who's been writing about matters of etiquette, among other things. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Massella Dukuly understands that the simple act of giving somebody feedback can be terrifying. But her job as director of learning and development at LifeLabs Learning is to teach people how to give good feedback.In this episode, Dukuly shares five things to keep in mind as you're giving feedback to another person.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Becoming a parent is challenging, and the same is true for those becoming stepparents. In this episode, we talk to experts — some of whom are stepparents themselves — about how you can navigate the process. They share their do's: let the biological parent deal with discipline — and their don'ts: don't say anything to the child that you wouldn't want them to repeat to the other parent. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Talking about money can feel intimidating, even taboo. But it's also the key to fostering a closer connection with your partner. In this episode, financial therapist Amanda Clayman breaks down five crucial elements to a healthy financial relationship with your significant other.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

If you've noticed that your kid put on some weight during the pandemic and you're not sure what — if anything — to do about it, you're not alone.Weight is an incredibly fraught topic — and an imperfect indicator of health. As parents, a kid's sudden weight gain can be hard to know how to tackle — the last thing we'd want is to do anything that might create poor body image for our children or set the stage for eating disorders.We spoke to doctors and specialists who work with kids. In this episode, they share their tips for how to get kids back on track and support healthy habits.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Hi Life Kit listeners! We want to share an episode from another podcast we think you'll really enjoy. It comes from our friends at CNN's Chasing Life. It's hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta and it helps listeners find balance in their lives. This episode is all about something very important — getting a good night's sleep. Dr. Gupta talks with experts about why we sleep in the first place, the latest research about sleep and how we get a full night's rest. Hope you enjoy!To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The idea behind dating apps is to make finding a connection easier — but that's not always the case. These expert tips will help you make the experience less anxiety-inducing, whether you're looking for something long-term or casual.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Be it snail mail, a text message, a work email or a birthday card to grandma: good personal writing can foster authentic connection, boost your creativity and brighten someone's day. But personal writing can be tough. In this episode, Courtney Taylor, a senior writer at Hallmark Cards offers tips to make finding the words a bit easier. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Having elementary-aged kids at home can mean a maze of tough decisions about how to run your family and what's right for your small children. Economist Emily Oster offers ways to streamline decision-making with strategies — and data — that work in the business world.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Becoming a mother is a huge, complicated life transition that can rock every fiber of a person's being. The process even has its own name: matrescence.That postpartum feeling of being on an emotional rollercoaster, not recognizing your body in the mirror, thinking that you've lost yourself—it's all part of the process. Yet, not a lot of people talk about it, leading many new moms to think that there's a problem with them if they feel anything but joy. In this episode, host Grace Bastidas of Parents Latina offers guidance for mothers trying to make sense of this life stage. Here are five takeaways that can help moms-to-be (and moms already in the thick of it) get their footing, ​​including tips on how to manage expectations, get the support you need and prioritize time for yourself. To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Money can feel like a taboo topic in a lot of households, but talking about it regularly can take the awkwardness out of it.Kids see and do everything that we do, and that's true when it comes to money, says financial expert Jen Hemphill.In this episode, Hemphill shares her top tips for financial literacy for kids and families, including how to start those conversations and creating a healthy money mindset for everyone.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Despite its legal-sounding moniker, a relationship contract isn't a binding agreement. Rather, it's a tool for couples to express their needs and work together to craft the parameters of their own unique relationship roadmap: including anything and everything from health and housework, to sex and intimacy.Writer Mandy Len Catron says crafting a relationship contract is a powerful exercise that "steers couples away from those problematic, passive notions of romance and toward agency and thoughtfulness in our love lives."In this Life Kit episode, Catron shares her tips and takeaways for creating a useful relationship contract.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Whether you're a longtime fan or just thinking about how and where to get started in YA, we've got you covered with some recommendations, some thoughts about what YA is and is not, and some things to look for as you wade into the inviting but turbulent waters of Young Adult fiction.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Investing is the most powerful way that we can save for retirement, college for our children and similar long-term goals. But if you're just getting started it can be hard to separate the good advice from the bad.In this episode, NPR Life Kit host Chris Arnold offers up a few tips for those who are just entering the world of investing.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Even the most amicable split is world-changing for young children. Here are a few key tips for grown-ups trying to help their kids navigate this big transition.(This episode originally published April 26, 2019.)To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

We're in another unsettling moment in the pandemic. Even people who are vaccinated are wondering if it's time to be cautious again, given the rise in cases, the fast-spreading Delta variant and reports of vaccinated people testing positive. NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey offers some guidance and answers questions on what we know about the Delta variant.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy