Life Kit

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.)

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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.

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Social media is designed to be addicting, but it doesn't have to be. Whether you're looking for a full detox or just trying to find balance, here are four tips to help you create a healthier relationship with social media.

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Career development expert Kimberly B. Cummings went from studying her bosses to becoming one, and that process shaped how she approaches being a leader at work.

Whether you're managing employees or shaping your relationship with your boss by managing up, Cummings shares tips on how to do both.

The audio portion of this episode was produced by Clare Marie Schneider, with audio engineering support from Neal Rauch.

We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org. For more Life Kit, subscribe to our newsletter.

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Record-breaking temperatures resulting from climate change are a global problem. And while our bodies have ways to dissipate heat, sometimes they just can't keep up with extreme temperatures. Here are four tips from experts on how to stay safe and cool in extreme heat.

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Hosting can be stressful, but it doesn't need to be. Conflict resolution facilitator Priya Parker discusses ways anyone can host a meaningful, memorable gathering.

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It's not your fault that single-use plastic is everywhere. But with a little planning, you can curb your use of disposables and maybe even save some money in the long run. And after you've reduced and reused, we'll teach you how to recycle — properly!

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Flirting can be scary. What if you get rejected? Reframing that mindset is key to an enjoyable flirting experience, according to experts. We got concrete advice on how to strike up a conversation, how to tell if the other person is into it and how to ask for someone's phone number (spoiler alert: don't).

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It's never too early to start putting away money for retirement. In this episode, NPR's Chris Arnold decodes what you should know — from the types of retirement accounts to strategies for saving. (This episode originally published in October 2020.)

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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.)

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We could all stand to stretch our cash a little further right now. Life Kit teamed up with financial expert Tiffany Aliche, also known as the Budgetnista, for tips about how to separate needs from wants, stop stress-spending and save for the future. (This episode originally published in September 2020.)

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Whether you lose your job or the economy is in a recession, weathering a financial crisis is tough. Personal finance expert Michelle Singletary guides us through tough decisions to get through money struggles.

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Dietitian Shana Spence joins Life Kit to share her tips to making nutritious meals without spending more than necessary. (This episode originally ran in October 2020.)

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How you decorate your home can be a form of self-expression and a way to share personal stories. Curator and author Kimberly Drew explains how to find art and objects that fit your taste and budget (framing concert tickets counts!), and how to safely display the work in your space.

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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 trans people and provides simple ideas to help you be a trans ally at work and beyond. (This episode first ran in June 2020.)

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If you have a podcast idea, you've come to the right place. In this episode, NPR producer (and frequent Life Kit host) Lauren Migaki guides us through the steps to making one, with advice from folks at Code Switch, Throughline, Planet Money and more.

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It's hard not to love romance books. They're flirty, steamy, and by definition, they end on a high note. Life Kit teamed up with NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast to get book recommendations to add to your summer reading list.

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"Likeability" is a loaded word. And try as we might, none of us has full control over who likes us. Journalist and podcaster Alicia Menendez, author of The Likeability Trap, says who we like is shaped by who we are — and often, likeability is a way of shielding biases in the workplace.

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