Life Kit

By NPR

What's Life Kit about?

Host Kelly McEvers takes a story from the news and goes deep. Whether that means digging into the Trump administration's past, the stories behind police shootings caught on video, or visiting a town ravaged by the opioid epidemic, Embedded takes you where the news is happening.

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Friendships Change. Here's ...

08.06.2020

Friendships inevitably shift over time — and during COVID-19, you might be facing more changes than usual. But those shifts in relationships aren't necessarily a bad thing. Life Kit consulted the experts about how to take a hard look at ...

Life Kit episodes:

08.06.2020 Friendships Change. Here's How To Deal Friendships inevitably shift over time — and during COVID-19, you might be facing more changes than usual. But those shifts in relationships aren't necessarily a bad thing. Life Kit consulted the experts about how to take a hard look at ...
08.04.2020 Navigating The Sticky Social Situations Of COVID-19 How do you tell a stranger to be better at social distancing? What do you do when a backyard gathering suddenly has one too many unmasked guests? This episode walks through the new rules of etiquette during COVID-19.
08.03.2020 What 'The Rocket Years' Can Teach Us There's often a lot of pressure put on a person's 20s. Stay career focused? Or make it a time of exploration? In this episode, Elizabeth Segran talks about her book, The Rocket Years: How Your Twenties Launch the Rest of ...
07.30.2020 Why Forgiving Others Actually Heals You Deciding to forgive is a big step. After all, you're the one who's been harmed! But it turns out that forgiving someone actually has benefits for your mental health. The practice of radical forgiveness can help you process hurt and ...
07.28.2020 How To Brew A Better Cup Of Coffee You don't need to get super fancy with your morning coffee at home. All it takes are a few strategies to elevate your coffee game. Whether you use a drip machine or pour-over, paper filters or French press, this episode ...
07.27.2020 Regulate Your Mood With Solitude Everyone needs a little alone time, but with the current pandemic, you might have either too much "me" time or not enough. Let's get that balance back. This episode breaks down some of the research behind what makes even small ...
07.23.2020 New To Camping? Here's How To Get Started Attention new campers! This episode will get you ready for your first car camping trip so you'll feel comfortable and confident in being a responsible member of the outdoor community. We'll discuss what to bring camping, how to make meals, ...
07.21.2020 How To Work With — Not Against — Screen Time Some parents think the best way to manage a child's screen time is to set hard limits. But those rules are particularly difficult to keep during a pandemic, when screens are a lifeline for all of us. So what should ...
07.20.2020 A Sunscreen Evangelist Explains Why You Need To Get On Board Sunscreen protects from harmful UVA and UVB rays. To use it right , you need to know: What SPF to use, when to reapply and the difference between chemical and physical sunscreen.
07.16.2020 The Grandparents Want To See You. Is It Worth The Risk In A Pandemic? Thinking about making a trip to visit family? In the age of the coronavirus, there are questions you need to answer before showing up at your relative's house. In this episode, we talk through best practices for if, or when, ...
07.14.2020 Getting Out Of Medical Debt Can Feel Impossible. Here's How To Do It One in five Americans struggles with medical bills. The secret is that there's something you can do about it — you just have to know where to look and how to ask.
07.13.2020 What You Need To Know About Protective Face Masks Face masks are crucial for curbing the spread of the coronavirus. This episode goes over some best practices when it comes to face masks, including how to wear a mask properly, the protection given by cloth vs. surgical masks, and ...
07.09.2020 'Me And White Supremacy' Helps You Do The Work Of Dismantling Racism There's been a lot of talk about the work white people need to do to understand their role in racism. Layla Saad's book, Me and White Supremacy, helps readers do just that. Saad explains why it's important to dig into ...
07.07.2020 Your Boss Wants You Back. But Is It Safe? Returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic? This episode helps workers understand their rights, including current rules about unemployment, safety concerns and underlying conditions.
07.06.2020 Why Does My Plant Look Sad? 6 Tips For Raising Happy Houseplants Eager to bring new plants home, but aren't sure where to begin? This episode will get you started with the basics of houseplant care — from watering schedule to light conditions. Because anyone can become a green thumb with a ...
07.02.2020 Anxiety Is Overwhelming. Here's A Mindfulness Tool That Works We all need strategies to push back against conflict, anger and worry. Tara Brach distills the practice of mindfulness into a simple 4-step tool from her book Radical Compassion. This daily practice can help you show up for 'life' – ...
06.30.2020 End-Of-Life Planning Is A 'Lifetime Gift' To Your Loved Ones Talking about death makes many of us uncomfortable, so we don't plan for it. But the reality is that even a small amount of planning ensures our final wishes are honored — and makes it easier on our family and ...
06.29.2020 Want To Be Happier? Evidence-Based Tricks To Get You There Everyone wants to be happy, and science has some answers. In this episode, Laurie Santos, the host of The Happiness Lab podcast, shares the science of cultivating gratitude and reframing positive thinking.
06.25.2020 Navigating The Coming Out Conversation — From Both Sides Coming out looks different for everyone and is a continuous process. WNYC Studio's Nancy hosts talk with people about their coming out stories to learn what went well, what could have gone better, and what to say if someone comes ...
06.23.2020 How To Make Journaling Work For You Journaling helps you process emotions and gain insight. But you don't have to write for an hour a day or keep a beautiful bullet journal to get the benefits of journaling. This episode helps you get started with helpful journal ...
06.22.2020 Kids Know How To Occupy Themselves. We Need To Let Them Do It American parents often feel like event planners for their kids. There's a pressure to make sure kids are entertained and content every minute of the day. NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff says kids can be trained to occupy themselves.
06.18.2020 'Interrupt The Systems': Robin DiAngelo On 'White Fragility' And Anti-Racism You may not think of yourself as racist, but Robin DiAngelo says that "nice white people" are still complicit in racist structures. DiAngelo has tips to help white people break from apathy, interrupt racist systems and commit to anti-racist practices.
06.16.2020 4 Ways To Make Your Workplace Equitable For Trans People This week, the Supreme Court ruled LGBTQ workers are protected from job discrimination. So how can your workplace be truly equitable to transgender people? Gender Reveal host Tuck Woodstock answers questions about making the workplace safer and more inclusive for ...
06.15.2020 Want To Have Better Conversations About Racism With Your Parents? Here's How For some, talking to your parents and elders about racism can lead nowhere, or even backfire. Ijeoma Oluo, author of So You Want To Talk About Race, offers tips to make that conversation less confrontational and more constructive.
06.11.2020 Discussing 'The Talk' It's Been A Minute host Sam Sanders talks with his colleague Kenya Young, executive producer of Morning Edition and mother of three boys about "the talk" — The series of conversations black parents have with their kids, particularly their sons, ...
06.09.2020 Microaggressions Are A Big Deal: How To Talk Them Out And When To Walk Away Microaggressions are the everyday, thinly veiled instances of racism, homophobia, sexism and other biases that come across in gestures, comments or insults. But the "micro" doesn't mean that the acts don't have a big impact. While there's no one right ...
06.08.2020 How To Sleep Better With These Bedtime Rituals How do you get a good night's sleep? Many of us have routines we use to try and reach that blissful state of slumber — from meditation to melatonin to putting on a pair of socks. Sleep scientists weigh in ...
06.04.2020 How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race NPR's Michel Martin talks with Jennifer Harvey, author of Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America, about how to talk with white kids about racially charged events — and how to keep the conversation going. If ...
06.02.2020 Code Switch: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die The last few weeks have been filled with devastating stories about the police killing black people. In this episode of Code Switch, Jamil Smith, a senior writer at Rolling Stone, reads from an essay that he wrote at The New ...
06.01.2020 Telehealth Tips: How To Make The Most Of Video Visits With Your Doctor A visit to the doctor's office looks a little different during the pandemic. Doctors are using telemedicine services to treat patients more frequently. In this episode, Dr. Mara Gordon provides tips to help you get the most out of your ...
05.30.2020 From Camping To Road Trips: Here's How Experts Rate The Risks Of Summer Activities Summer is here, but the typical summer activities don't feel quite as carefree. How do you know if it's safe to hit the beach, rent a vacation home or pitch a tent? Life Kit host Allison Aubrey interviews experts to ...
05.28.2020 Be Honest And Concrete: Tips For Talking To Kids About Death Whether it's a family pet or a loved one, every child will experience a death at some point — and their parents will likely struggle to explain it. This episode, we revisit the Mr. Hooper episode of Sesame Street, which ...
05.26.2020 Picking A College For The Fall? Here's How To Decide For An Unknown Future While it's hard to know what college will look like this fall, college decision day is almost here. So what can students do to make a sound choice during this uncertain time? Education reporter Elissa Nadworny gives an update on ...
05.25.2020 How Body Positivity Can Lead To Better Health Weight stigma can hurt more than just your feelings. Negative messages about weight are actually bad for your health. This episode, a case for ditching the obsession with weight loss and focusing on celebrating all different body shapes and sizes.
05.21.2020 Don't Fall For The Unnecessary Fee Trap It's easy to get caught in a cycle of mounting overdraft fees, credit card interest and high-cost loans. A few simple tools can help you hold onto those hard-earned dollars.
05.19.2020 What To Say When A Friend Is Struggling When we see a friend going through a rough patch, it can be hard to know how to help. What do you say? What if you say the wrong thing? In the second part of our conversation with author Rachel ...
05.18.2020 Why Caring For Yourself Helps You Care For Others You can't fully show up for the people in your life until you know how to do the same for yourself. In this episode, we talk with Rachel Wilkerson Miller, author of The Art of Showing Up, about how to ...
05.14.2020 Grief For Beginners: 5 Things To Know About Processing Loss We're all experiencing some kind of grief these days. As this pandemic progresses, more of us will experience losing someone important to us. This episode lays a groundwork for the grieving process, no matter what your loss.
05.12.2020 'When Will This Be Over?' Sesame Workshop's Tips For Parenting In A Pandemic Many parents are struggling right now — juggling kids at home 24/7 and coping with their own losses. In this episode, Rosemarie Truglio, a developmental psychologist and vice president of research at Sesame Workshop, offers helpful, pandemic parenting tips.
05.11.2020 Your Guide To Adopting A Dog During The Coronavirus Pandemic Dog adoptions are up now that people are spending more time at home. Before you get in over your head, here are some things to consider before adopting a coronavirus dog. This episode will help you weigh the pros and ...
05.10.2020 Sesame Street's Grover On Coping During Coronavirus: Just For Kids Hey kids! Sesame Street's Grover is here and he's got some great ideas for making your days brighter during coronavirus. Grover explains how to make virtual play dates more fun, how to daydream and how to be a helper.
05.07.2020 Want To Get Creative? Easy Art Projects For Quarantine Looking for a creative outlet? Sarah Urist Green, author of Your Are An Artist, shares ideas for art projects you can do while at home during the coronavirus outbreak. No creative inspiration required.
05.05.2020 Love On Lockdown: Tips For Dating During The Coronavirus Crisis Lots of people want to find love, but the pandemic makes doing so more complicated. In this special episode, Sam Sanders of NPR's It's Been a Minute sheds some light on dating and relationships during the coronavirus pandemic.
05.04.2020 Tips To Help You Cope With An Uncertain Future The current pandemic makes it almost impossible to plan for the future. Uncertainty can be hard to live with day to day, so Life Kit talked to three people who have survived tough times and gained perspective. Here are seven ...
04.30.2020 Screen Time Overload? Here's How To Find Balance Screens keep us connected while we're socially distant, but phone fatigue is real. It's important to take breaks from your device to destress. In this episode, expert advice for balancing screen time during quarantine.
04.28.2020 If You've Always Wanted To Write A Book, Here's How Everyone has a book in them. Everyone also has a crummy inner voice telling them it's never going to happen. This episode will help shut down those distracting voices and get you started writing a book. After all, all it ...
04.27.2020 Juggling Student Loans During A Pandemic The CARES Act provides relief to many student loan borrowers during the coronavirus pandemic. But how do you know if you qualify? What if you're enrolled in Public Service Loan Forgiveness? What about private loans? This episode, a Life Kit ...
04.23.2020 How To Start Running, With Peter Sagal Exercise is considered an essential activity during this pandemic. But what if it's the first time you'll be going for a jog? Avid runner and host of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!, Peter Sagal gives his pitch for why you should ...
04.21.2020 This Is A Good Time To Start A Garden. Here's How Whether you have big plans for a vegetable garden or a tiny pot of windowsill herbs, this episode will help you get your green thumb. We cover the basics of hardiness zones, understanding good soil and building raised beds so ...
04.20.2020 Fake News Can Be Deadly. Here's How To Spot It. Experts say the coronavirus outbreak may be the biggest source of Internet misinformation ever. Fake cures, unscientific tips, and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 are flooding the Internet — but there are ways to sniff out misinformation.

Older episodes

Life Kit

What's Life Kit about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Life Kit episodes:

Friendships Change. Here's How To Deal

Navigating The Sticky Social Situations Of COVID-19

What 'The Rocket Years' Can Teach Us

Why Forgiving Others Actually Heals You

How To Brew A Better Cup Of Coffee

Regulate Your Mood With Solitude

New To Camping? Here's How To Get Started

How To Work With — Not Against — Screen Time

A Sunscreen Evangelist Explains Why You Need To Get On Board

The Grandparents Want To See You. Is It Worth The Risk In A Pandemic?

Getting Out Of Medical Debt Can Feel Impossible. Here's How To Do It

What You Need To Know About Protective Face Masks

'Me And White Supremacy' Helps You Do The Work Of Dismantling Racism

Your Boss Wants You Back. But Is It Safe?

Why Does My Plant Look Sad? 6 Tips For Raising Happy Houseplants

Anxiety Is Overwhelming. Here's A Mindfulness Tool That Works

End-Of-Life Planning Is A 'Lifetime Gift' To Your Loved Ones

Want To Be Happier? Evidence-Based Tricks To Get You There

Navigating The Coming Out Conversation — From Both Sides

How To Make Journaling Work For You

Kids Know How To Occupy Themselves. We Need To Let Them Do It

'Interrupt The Systems': Robin DiAngelo On 'White Fragility' And Anti-Racism

4 Ways To Make Your Workplace Equitable For Trans People

Want To Have Better Conversations About Racism With Your Parents? Here's How

Discussing 'The Talk'

Microaggressions Are A Big Deal: How To Talk Them Out And When To Walk Away

How To Sleep Better With These Bedtime Rituals

How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race

Code Switch: A Decade Of Watching Black People Die

Telehealth Tips: How To Make The Most Of Video Visits With Your Doctor

From Camping To Road Trips: Here's How Experts Rate The Risks Of Summer Activities

Be Honest And Concrete: Tips For Talking To Kids About Death

Picking A College For The Fall? Here's How To Decide For An Unknown Future

How Body Positivity Can Lead To Better Health

Don't Fall For The Unnecessary Fee Trap

What To Say When A Friend Is Struggling

Why Caring For Yourself Helps You Care For Others

Grief For Beginners: 5 Things To Know About Processing Loss

'When Will This Be Over?' Sesame Workshop's Tips For Parenting In A Pandemic

Your Guide To Adopting A Dog During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Sesame Street's Grover On Coping During Coronavirus: Just For Kids

Want To Get Creative? Easy Art Projects For Quarantine

Love On Lockdown: Tips For Dating During The Coronavirus Crisis

Tips To Help You Cope With An Uncertain Future

Screen Time Overload? Here's How To Find Balance

If You've Always Wanted To Write A Book, Here's How

Juggling Student Loans During A Pandemic

How To Start Running, With Peter Sagal

This Is A Good Time To Start A Garden. Here's How

Fake News Can Be Deadly. Here's How To Spot It.

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