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Back-to-school season can still be an opportunity for a refresh, even if you're not headed back to the classroom. |
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✅ Improve your to-do list with time boxing. Take a look at your daily schedule and figure out when you can get each task done. For example, you might write your novel from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., grocery shop from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and drop off your dry cleaning from 3:30 to 4 p.m. This method, called time boxing, can narrow down how much you can tackle in a day. "That kind of awareness gets you thinking, am I spending my time in a way that makes sense for me?" says Angel Trinidad, founder and CEO of Passion Planner, a company that sells paper and digital planners and journals.
👟 Get back into exercise. Daunted by launching into an hour-long spin class three days a week? You can get back into exercise by starting small without even going to the gym. Think of starting an exercise routine like climbing a ladder. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Even short bouts of exercise, known as “exercise snacks” have value, and they can help you build up your fitness level over time. More on exercise snacks here.
💤 Prioritize sleep with a wind-down routine. If you don’t have a pre-bedtime ritual, it might be time to consider adopting one, says Allison Harvey, a professor and clinical psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley. To sleep well, try to put yourself in a calm and relaxed state at bedtime, says Harvey. Anything that stirs up your emotions, positive or negative, is best to avoid. “This is not the time to check one last email or text with friends about exciting plans.”
Harvey says you want to create “a sense of safety and good associations with bedtime.” So consider replacing doomscrolling with the crossword.
💳 Spend less money by creating a budget. Whether it's a simple spreadsheet or a budgeting app, use the system that works for you. Jesse Mecham, founder of the budgeting software You Need A Budget, says the main thing is not to wait until a "normal month" to get started — that will never come. So just start doing it, like right now. It's worth making a budget now, and if it changes in the coming months or year, that's OK.
🧥 Cultivate your personal style. If you’re feeling “bleh” about your wardrobe – take inventory of what you have. Go through your closet and try everything on. Let go of clothes you don’t wear and identify the pieces that you love. Use those as the foundation for your style. |
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Dear Life Kit: Do I have to buy birthday gifts for my 18 nieces and nephews? |
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Mininyx Doodle/Getty Images; Anna Efetova/Getty Images/Collage by NPR |
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An NPR listener writes: "I'm an auntie to 18 nieces and nephews. My sisters say it's unfair I only buy presents for some of them. I'm doing well financially, but gifts for 18 nieces and nephews add up. I don't have strong bonds with all of my siblings, and it's the same with my nieces and nephews, most of whom are teenagers."
Read what the experts advised, then explore these reactions from our Instagram audience:
🔹 "My husband's aunt gives them the amount of cash that matches their age. It's memorable and not too pricey." — @alimckeev
🔹"When families get that large, it almost makes more sense for each aunt and uncle to put a certain amount of money into a birthday fund each year, with the collective funds divided evenly among the kids old enough to appreciate birthday presents and spent on something that each kid actually wants." — @katepowellartist
🔹"Not required but also don’t purchase in a way that creates division amongst children (like buying gifts for only one niece but not a nephew that’s their sibling). Always positive to acknowledge milestones even if just a card."— @____.muse
🔹"You are never under any obligation to buy anyone a gift at any time. That’s why it’s a gift." — @politikchik
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Want *even more* useful, practical life advice? Follow Life Kit on Instagram |
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| Follow us for bite-size versions of our episodes on money, health, relationships and more. Recent posts include a reel on how to properly spray mosquito repellent (go ahead and be generous with it, it's not cologne!), a comic on how to intervene when someone is harassed or attacked, and feel-good exercises for sore, achy feet. Look out for opportunities to share your own advice, too. |
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What it's like to live with intrusive thoughts. After giving birth to her second child, NPR's LA Johnson struggled with scary thoughts that felt disturbing and unwanted. She illustrates her experience in a comic, along with tips on how to cope. Read the comic.
Teens are using AI. Here’s how parents can talk about it. High school and college students graduating in 2026 will have had access to artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT since their freshman year. Teens are using it in creative ways to help them study, but many have also received little to no guidance on responsible use. In this episode, we discuss how to talk to teens about AI, including its risks and potential benefits for young people. Listen to the episode.
Boost your mood in 15 minutes. Sometimes you're just feeling blah: maybe the weather's bad, you can't get out of bed and you're struggling to shake off that listlessness. In these moments, the solution is often simpler than we think. This episode, NPR's Science desk and Life Kit staff present research-backed mood boosters to instantly shake yourself out of a slump and turn your day around. Read the comic. |
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Try a free month of Life Kit+ |
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Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening and even some specially curated playlists of episodes by theme (Master your budget, Organize your life, Move your body, and more).
Check out all the NPR+ benefits available at plus.npr.org and use the code "freemonth" for a 30 day trial of Life Kit+! |
Upcoming topics to look out for 👀 |
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What to know what we’re working on? Here is a list of topics you can expect to learn about in upcoming episodes.
💲Budgeting for college students
🌀The science of mastering your intuition
🩺Navigating health insurance
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