Life Skills

Research-backed advice to make your daily life a little better—or at least a little easier.

Latest in Life Skills

How to keep raccoons and possums away from your house
Environment

How to keep raccoons and possums away from your house

By Dan Seitz

clean desk area
DIY

How to hide your mess of cables once and for all

By Whitson Gordon

woman sitting on the beach
DIY

How to make the most of your credit card points

By Whitson Gordon

frustrating tax time
DIY

How to avoid tax season stress

By Dan Seitz

man jumping down red rocks
Health

First aid basics for your adventure in the wilderness

By Alisha McDarris

indoor plants
DIY

The best indoor plants for people who kill plants

By Stephanie Lee

bowls full of spices
DIY

What to do with all your old spices

By Dan Seitz

van on the road
DIY

#VanLife isn’t as hard as you think. You don’t even need a van.

By Alisha McDarris

cabin covered in snow
DIY

Yes, cabin fever is real—here’s how to prevent it

By Dan Seitz

group spinning on exercise bikes
DIY

How to make exercise a regular part of your life

By Dan Seitz

How to make customer service actually respond to you
DIY

How to make customer service actually respond to you

By Whitson Gordon

Phone laptop CV resume builder
DIY

Seven apps to level up your resume

By David Nield

woman working from home
DIY

How to work from home without losing productivity

By Stephanie Lee

neti pot
DIY

Neti pots are actually very safe—if you use them properly

By Sophie Bushwick

local winter vegetables
DIY

How to eat vegetables this winter without increasing your carbon footprint

By Dan Seitz

Five head lice on a white background.
DIY

How to get rid of lice

By Jillian Mock

What not to do on Black Friday
DIY

What not to do on Black Friday

By David Nield

The fastest way to thaw a frozen turkey—or any other food
DIY

The fastest way to thaw a frozen turkey—or any other food

By Dan Seitz

How to eat healthy when the munchies strike
DIY

How to eat healthy when the munchies strike

By Stephanie Lee

two paramedics prepare to take someone out of an ambulance
Technology

Gunshot wound first aid can save a life. Here’s what to do.

By Nicole Wetsman

How to deal with seasonal affective disorder and stay alert this winter
Health

How to deal with seasonal affective disorder and stay alert this winter

By Eleanor Cummins

emergency sign
DIY

CPR can save lives. Here’s how (and when) to do it.

By Rob Verger

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, winter’s odorless killer
DIY

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, winter’s odorless killer

By Dan Seitz

How to spot misleading statistics in the news
Science

How to spot misleading statistics in the news

By Liberty Vittert/The Conversation

Credit card stolen or lost? Here’s what to do.
DIY

Credit card stolen or lost? Here’s what to do.

By Whitson Gordon

Throwing knives is growing more popular—here’s how to get started
DIY

Throwing knives is growing more popular—here’s how to get started

By William Gurstelle

Budgeting is tedious. These tricks make it easier.
DIY

Budgeting is tedious. These tricks make it easier.

By Whitson Gordon

Make your home greener—and more resilient
DIY

Make your home greener—and more resilient

By Marlene Cimons

moving in carrying sofa
DIY

Lift heavy stuff without wrecking your back

By Dan Seitz

dog scratching
DIY

How to get rid of fleas

By Dan Seitz

Freezer bags are the secret to eating well on your next camping trip
DIY

Freezer bags are the secret to eating well on your next camping trip

By Alisha McDarris

salmon healthy food
DIY

Cook meals in coffee makers, dishwashers, and other unexpected appliances

By Sophie Bushwick

Heavy backpacks can hurt kids—here’s how to send them back to school safely
DIY

Heavy backpacks can hurt kids—here’s how to send them back to school safely

By Whitson Gordon

the remains of old crayons
DIY

How to recycle shoes, crayons, toothbrushes, and other random stuff

By Lexi Krupp

Don’t buy stolen artifacts—here’s how to ethically collect science memorabilia
DIY

Don’t buy stolen artifacts—here’s how to ethically collect science memorabilia

By Whitson Gordon

Why it’s really important for your bra to fit (and how to finally make it happen)
Health

Why it’s really important for your bra to fit (and how to finally make it happen)

By Joanna Wakefield-Scurr/The Conversation

dead cockroach
DIY

Six pest-removal myths that need to be exterminated

By Dan Seitz

Binder clips
DIY

12 tips for organizing your work space

By Gareth Branwyn

Grand Canyon Sunset at Desert View Point
DIY

The best National Parks for photographers

By Jeanette D. Moses

The easiest meals the PopSci staff knows how to make
DIY

The easiest meals the PopSci staff knows how to make

By Popular Science Team

A beginner’s guide to finding wild edible plants that won’t kill you
DIY

A beginner’s guide to finding wild edible plants that won’t kill you

By Benji Jones

It’s time to clean the grimy filters you’ve been avoiding
DIY

It’s time to clean the grimy filters you’ve been avoiding

By Sophie Bushwick

It’s surprisingly easy for your headphones to damage your hearing
DIY

It’s surprisingly easy for your headphones to damage your hearing

By Whitson Gordon

How to leave the sand behind on your next beach trip
DIY

How to leave the sand behind on your next beach trip

By Dan Seitz

electronic waste
DIY

You throw out 44 pounds of electronic waste a year. Here’s how to keep it out of the dump.

By Whitson Gordon

How to find your way out of the woods without tools—or your phone
DIY

How to find your way out of the woods without tools—or your phone

By Dan Seitz

For the closest shave, get naked—doctor’s orders
DIY

For the closest shave, get naked—doctor’s orders

By Rob Verger

deforestation in Indonesia
DIY

Our love of palm oil is destroying forests. Here’s how to use less of it.

By Sophie Bushwick

How to tell if you really have a fever
DIY

How to tell if you really have a fever

By Claire Maldarelli

How to avoid ingrown hairs
DIY

How to avoid ingrown hairs

By Sara Chodosh

How to safely dispose of your old medications
Health

How to safely dispose of your old medications

By Sara Chodosh

punch
DIY

How to throw a punch

By Stan Horaczek

How to wash your clothes without wearing them out
DIY

How to wash your clothes without wearing them out

By Whitson Gordon

The ultimate guide to hitting a home run
Science

The ultimate guide to hitting a home run

By Sara Chodosh

woman napping on a couch
DIY

Learn how to take a nap because they’re really beneficial

By Eleanor Cummins

Chocolate cake in a mug with a spoon
DIY

Add a dash of chemistry for the best microwave mug cake of your life

By Jason Lederman

Health-monitoring apps to get your New Year’s resolutions back on track
DIY

Health-monitoring apps to get your New Year’s resolutions back on track

By David Nield

‘Speed reading’ isn’t real, but you can still train yourself to read faster
DIY

‘Speed reading’ isn’t real, but you can still train yourself to read faster

By Eleanor Cummins

Food science tricks to make the perfect popcorn
DIY

Food science tricks to make the perfect popcorn

By Claire Maldarelli

What to do if your dog eats your Christmas chocolates
Health

What to do if your dog eats your Christmas chocolates

By Claire Maldarelli

The easiest way to keep your home warm this winter
DIY

The easiest way to keep your home warm this winter

By Sophie Bushwick

How to keep latkes crispy for eight days and nights
DIY

How to keep latkes crispy for eight days and nights

By Nicole Wetsman

How to prepare your car for winter
Technology

How to prepare your car for winter

By DriverSide Staff

How to prepare your home for winter
DIY

How to prepare your home for winter

By Mary Beth Griggs