Life Kit

NPR

Everyone needs a little help being a human. From sleep to saving money to parenting and more, host Marielle Segarra talks to 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+. You'll support the show and unlock exclusive curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/lifekit read less

Our Editor's Take

The Life Kit podcast is a one-stop shop for life hacks that make life a little easier. No matter the issue, the solution awaits somewhere in the annals of the podcast. There has never been more accessible advice, and it covers everything from activism to burnout. Andee Tagle hosts this helpful podcast.

What is the best way to get a good night's sleep? Stop doom-scrolling for a start. After that, make sure your room is as dark as can be. What about overcoming a fear of flying? How to get the best healthcare? Parenting is hard enough, but parenting with autism? Life can be a conveyor-belt of struggle. The Life Kit podcast has the answers. Episodes feature transitions, Roe v. Wade, personal finance questions, and more.

Life Kit is a podcast for people in need of direction. It also is a brilliant podcast for those who know what they are doing. In short, this is a clever, useful podcast filled with life hacks and charming advice. It encourages smiles and development all at once. From DIY to caregivers, the podcast is all about expert tips and tricks. Life doesn't need to be so hard. Listeners looking for something helpful should give Life Kit a chance.

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Health & FitnessHealth & Fitness

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What people get wrong about hangovers

What people get wrong about hangovers

Do you feel anxious after a night drinking? Two doctors weigh in on how to treat hangover symptoms especially 'hangxiety' after drinking too much. Plus the science of alcohol's affect on your body and tips for reassessing your relationship to alcohol.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Episodes

What people get wrong about hangovers

What people get wrong about hangovers

Do you feel anxious after a night drinking? Two doctors weigh in on how to treat hangover symptoms especially 'hangxiety' after drinking too much. Plus the science of alcohol's affect on your body and tips for reassessing your relationship to alcohol.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Going home for the holidays? Here's how to cope with travel stress

Going home for the holidays? Here's how to cope with travel stress

Holiday travel is stressful — especially if you're dealing with family baggage on top of your actual baggage. But with some patience and boundary setting, you can keep your cool. This episode, how to prepare for holidays with family: mindfulness techniques that will work this season and year-round.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Got two left feet? A guide to dance

Got two left feet? A guide to dance

A basic guide to boogying down, whether that's at a wedding, a dance studio or alone in your kitchen. In this episode, experts offer tips on how to shake off that self-consciousness and find the beat.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A beginner's guide to roasting a Thanksgiving turkey

A beginner's guide to roasting a Thanksgiving turkey

If you roast your turkey on a pre-heated pizza stone, you can avoid the dreaded task of flipping the piping hot bird midway through the cooking process, says Lan Lam of 'America's Test Kitchen.' This episode originally aired on Nov. 16, 2023.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Clever kitchen hacks from 'Bake Off' judge Prue Leith

Clever kitchen hacks from 'Bake Off' judge Prue Leith

Chef and TV host Prue Leith may be an exacting judge with the bakers on The Great British Bake Off. But when it comes to the rest of us, she thinks we could all cut ourselves a bit of slack in the kitchen. That's the idea behind her new cookbook, Life's Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom. It includes flavorful and simple recipes — but also dozens of practical cooking hacks from her 65-year culinary career. From peeling garlic to rescuing over-whipped cream, she offers strategies that can help you reduce waste and prepare tricky foods with ease.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A stress-free guide to organizing important paperwork

A stress-free guide to organizing important paperwork

The paper of life — birth certificates, tax information, medical records and other important documents — all have to go somewhere. But keeping track of all these files and actually organizing them can feel like a headache. Professional organizer Kacy Paide walks through how to get started, what to toss and how to make a system that you'll actually stick to in moments of stress.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How long do leftovers last? And other food safety questions, answered

How long do leftovers last? And other food safety questions, answered

Did you grow up in a household where food was left out all day? Do you wash chicken before cooking it? If so, you might need this refresher course on food safety. Guidance on how to prepare, cook, serve and store food this holiday season — without giving yourself or your loved ones food poisoning.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How to pick the right health insurance plan

How to pick the right health insurance plan

Picking a health insurance plan can be confusing and frustrating. There are endless acronyms and it's hard to predict what your health needs will be in six months. This episode, we break down some of the terms and share guided questions to help you choose the plan that's best for you. This episode was originally published Oct. 31, 2023.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Busting myths about hydration

Busting myths about hydration

Do you really need to drink eight glasses of water a day? Can drinking water help you lose weight? Does coffee dehydrate you? Experts explain the science of hydration. This episode originally published September 22, 2022.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How to recover from a bad night of sleep

How to recover from a bad night of sleep

If you've slept poorly, your instinct might be to sleep in or power through the day with extra cups of coffee. But those tactics may actually hurt your chances of getting back on track, say experts. Instead, set yourself up for success with these tips.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How to slow down when you eat

How to slow down when you eat

Eating more deliberately can help you make better choices about nourishing your body, says Lilian Cheung, a mindful eating lecturer at Harvard. She shares how to enjoy meals while paying attention. This episode originally published September 11, 2023.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How to find lost objects: Techniques that really work

How to find lost objects: Techniques that really work

Finding missing items isn't a matter of "looking harder." There's an art and a science to it. The next time you misplace your wedding ring, try these strategies to hunt it down. They'll make your search process faster, smoother and calmer. Life Kit digital editor Malaka Gharib talks with visual search experts, a metal detector enthusiast and a detective about their best tricks for finding what's lost.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Dear Life Kit: I need a gut check for a sticky situation

Dear Life Kit: I need a gut check for a sticky situation

Comedian and advice columnist Sophia Benoit weighs in on questions from listeners with sticky interpersonal situations and gives us a gut check on each one.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

A guide to breast cancer screening

A guide to breast cancer screening

October is breast cancer awareness month. Here's what you need to know about detection and screening.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Should you let your kid quit something?

Should you let your kid quit something?

You signed your kid up for the soccer team (or swimming lessons, or piano or art), paid the fee and now they're begging to quit! In these moments, it's difficult to know what decision will help your kid grow in the long run. Do you ask them to tough it out and develop perseverance? Or trust their emotions? In this episode, Life Kit visuals editor Beck Harlan talks to two family psychologists about what to do when your kid tells you they're never going back to that extracurricular.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How to avoid counterfeit and unsafe products online

How to avoid counterfeit and unsafe products online

Nearly 70 percent of people were deceived into buying a counterfeit product online at least once last year, according to research from Michigan State University. And buying knockoff versions of products can be dangerous. Kari Kammel, the director at the Center for Anti Counterfeiting and Product Protection at Michigan State University, shares tips for how to avoid counterfeit and unsafe products, especially online.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How to cut ultra-processed foods from your diet

How to cut ultra-processed foods from your diet

They're tasty and cheap, but they come with health risks. NPR health correspondent Maria Godoy explains how to spot and avoid ultra-processed snacks and packaged foods. This episode originally published June 20, 2023.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How "parts" therapy can help you heal

How "parts" therapy can help you heal

Internal Family Systems, a type of therapy, encourages an examination of the different "parts" of your self. Listening to and learning from the voices within can help us manage stress and get through tough decisions. This episode is Part 3 of the new series, Stress Less: A Quest to Reclaim Your Calm.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

How to talk to your aging parents about their finances

How to talk to your aging parents about their finances

There comes a time when it's the kid's turn to take care of mom and dad. Here's how to broach this sensitive subject with your parents.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What to do when your house floods

What to do when your house floods

The biggest threat in a hurricane isn't the wind, it's the water. And Atlantic hurricane season isn't over yet. NPR climate correspondent Michael Copley walks through your to-do list after a big flooding event and how to prepare for one in the future.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy