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Life Kit

Tools To Help You Get It Together
SOS! I'm feeling anxious — what can I do?
Kaz Fantone/NPR

Perspective

Life Kit

SOS! I'm feeling anxious — what can I do?

Anxiety can feel awful and overwhelming. But it can also be a helpful warning signal — telling us when we're in danger or out of alignment with our true feelings. We share tips on how to turn down the dial on your anxiety symptoms, so you can listen to what they're trying to tell you.

SOS! I'm feeling anxious — what can I do?

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It's never too late to explore your gender identity. Here's how to start
Connie Hanzhang Jin/NPR

Perspective

It's never too late to explore your gender identity. Here's how to start

If you're an adult starting to explore your gender identity, it can be tough knowing where to begin. Here's some advice from trans people to help you on this intimate and powerful journey.

It's never too late to explore your gender identity. Here's how to start

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5 easy tips for making friends as an adult
Kaz Fantone/NPR

Perspective

5 easy tips for making friends as an adult

Whether you're moving into a summer sublet or your forever home, friendships are important to feeling settled in a new place. So how do we do that? A friendship coach walks us through how we can be more vulnerable and resourceful in adult friendships.

5 easy tips for making friends as an adult

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Want to create a stronger bond with your kids? First relinquish control
Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop

Perspective

Want to create a stronger bond with your kids? First relinquish control

It may sound counterintuitive, but if you want to take charge as a parent, stop trying to control your child, says psychologist and author Shefali Tsabary. Her new book, "The Parenting Map," lays out a step-by-step guide for creating conscious parent-child relationships.

Want to create a stronger bond with your kids? First relinquish control

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9 people share the best life advice they ever got from their mom

Collage of a mother duck facing three rubber ducks, representing her children. A speech bubble with a heart is coming out of the mother's mouth, symbolizing the advice given by mothers to their children. Photographs by Chandler Cruttenden/Unsplash; Timothy Dykes/Unsplash; Collage by Kaz Fantone/NPR hide caption

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Photographs by Chandler Cruttenden/Unsplash; Timothy Dykes/Unsplash; Collage by Kaz Fantone/NPR

Perspective

9 people share the best life advice they ever got from their mom

We asked Life Kit readers to share the best advice they ever received. In honor of Mother's Day, here are some reminders from everyday moms and grandmothers.

Do you freeze up in front of your doctor? Here's how to talk to your physician
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Do you freeze up in front of your doctor? Here's how to talk to your physician

Ever leave the doctor's office confused or with unanswered questions? Talking to doctors and other medical professionals can be hard — whether they're good at their jobs or not. We'll give you the tools to get more out of your appointments. We'll talk about how to choose a provider, prepare for your visit, ask the right questions, and get your provider's attention if they're not hearing you.

Do you freeze up in front of your doctor? Here's how to talk to your physician

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Dear Life Kit: My parents pay my tuition. Do I have to show them my grades?
Photograph by element5digital/Unsplash; Collage by Becky Harlan/NPR

Perspective

Dear Life Kit

Dear Life Kit: My parents pay my tuition. Do I have to show them my grades?

If your parents pay for your college, do they have a right to demand to see your grades? Berna Anat, the author of Money Out Loud, shares advice on defining financial expectations and boundaries.

Dear Life Kit: My parents pay my tuition. Do I have to show them my grades?

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Deciding when it's time to end therapy
Stefania Pelfini, La Waziya Photography/Getty Images

Deciding when it's time to end therapy

Getting into therapy comes with its own hurdles, but what about knowing when to stop it? Moraya Seeger DeGeare, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has advice on how to figure out when it's time to end therapy and what actually to say when you do. Depending on the situation, ending with your therapist could involve anything from ghosting to a sit-down conversation.

Deciding when it's time to end therapy

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So you don't want kids. Here's how to respond to unwanted comments
Ana Galvañ for NPR

Perspective

So you don't want kids. Here's how to respond to unwanted comments

If you've decided not to have kids, your life will look different from what you might have seen growing up. Here's how to build your child-free life, with or without a long-term partner. We talk about finding community, planning for the future, making a financial plan and responding to some of the comments and judgments of other people.

So you don't want kids. Here's how to respond to unwanted comments

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Don't have the energy to clean today? Just tidy up these 5 things
Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Perspective

Don't have the energy to clean today? Just tidy up these 5 things

Therapist and author KC Davis shares a framework to help you get a messy room back to functional quickly. She says that in any space, there are really only five things: trash, dishes, laundry, things that have a place, and things that don't have a place. We help you tackle them, one by one.

Don't have the energy to clean today? Just tidy up these 5 things

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Masculinity doesn't have to be restrictive. Here's how to redefine it for yourself
Tara Moore/Getty Images

Masculinity doesn't have to be restrictive. Here's how to redefine it for yourself

Restrictive expectations of masculinity can be perpetuated by anyone and impact how we view ourselves and others. We spoke with experts for tips on how you or those in your life can begin to redefine masculinity.

Masculinity doesn't have to be restrictive. Here's how to redefine it for yourself

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A big misconception about debt — and how to tackle it
Angela Hsieh/NPR

A big misconception about debt — and how to tackle it

Life happens, and so does debt. Unexpected car trouble, the high price of food, a family emergency — there is no shortage of reasons why debt can pile up. In this episode, we offer shame-free solutions for digging out of debt.

A big misconception about debt — and how to tackle it

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4 tips for saying goodbye to someone you love
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4 tips for saying goodbye to someone you love

Saying goodbye can be tough, especially if you're parting ways for good. But grief counselor and patient advocate Isabel Stenzel Byrnes says the art of saying goodbye to loved ones can be learned and practiced.

4 tips for saying goodbye to someone you love

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A career coach unlocks the secret to acing your job interview and combating anxiety
Korrawin Khanta/EyeEm/Getty Images

A career coach unlocks the secret to acing your job interview and combating anxiety

How should you prepare in advance for a job interview? We discuss what questions to prep for, how to choose an outfit you feel your best in, and what to do if you get nervous. Plus, we walk through a mock interview to model how to answer common questions.

A career coach unlocks the secret to acing your job interview and combating anxiety

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5 things to remember when a friendship ends
Ed Bock/Getty Images

5 things to remember when a friendship ends

Not all friends are meant to last forever. Here are 5 things to remember if you're processing the loss of a friendship — or trying to save one that matters to you.

5 things to remember when a friendship ends

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Dear Life Kit: My boyfriend's parents pay for everything. It makes me uncomfortable
Photographs by Fabrizio Frigeni/Unsplash; Markus Winkler/Unsplash; Collage by NPR

Dear Life Kit

Dear Life Kit: My boyfriend's parents pay for everything. It makes me uncomfortable

She loves her boyfriend's parents, but their generosity feels inappropriate. Maya Lau, host of the podcast Other People's Pockets, weighs in on how to move forward.

Dear Life Kit: My boyfriend's parents pay for everything. It makes me uncomfortable

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4 pieces of advice for caregivers, from caregivers
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4 pieces of advice for caregivers, from caregivers

1 in 5 Americans are acting as unpaid caregivers. The work can be meaningful but also stressful. Caregivers give advice about how to approach the job, find support and make time for yourself.

4 pieces of advice for caregivers, from caregivers

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Medical bills can cause a financial crisis. Here's how to negotiate them
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

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5 questions you should ask your partner before getting married
Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop

Life Kit

5 questions you should ask your partner before getting married

It takes more than love to sustain a marriage. A marriage social scientist goes over five big questions to answer about your relationship and your values before getting hitched.

5 questions you should ask your partner before getting married

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