Life Skills(Page 8)

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

Latest in Life Skills

How to keep jet lag from ruining your vacation

Beach sign warning of great white shark sightings in Chatham, Massachusetts

You should never have to fight off a shark—but here’s how to do it (just in case)

By Alisha McDarris

Close up image of a wasp

The most effective ways to avoid bee, wasp, and hornet stings

By Alisha McDarris

How to find a bank that shares your commitment to the environment

How to find a bank that shares your commitment to the environment

By Sara Kiley Watson

Wildfires could hit your hometown. Here’s how to prepare.

Wildfires could hit your hometown. Here’s how to prepare.

By Sara Kiley Watson

A person wearing a long-sleeved white shirt while holding a baby.

Stay cool this summer by making the right wardrobe choices

Assorted vegetables and fruit in a farmer's market

Simple tips to help you eat enough fruits and veggies every day

By Nadia Bajuelo

a portrait photo of a woman

6 common photography mistakes to avoid

By Harry Guinness

lightning bolt in the middle of the countryside

How to prevent getting struck by lightning

By Alisha McDarris

hand holding a phone

Tips and tricks to help you take better smartphone photos

A burning pile of magnesium expelling white smoke against a dark blue background, with a fire extinguisher nozzle nearby setting it on fire.

Let burning metals lie

By Theodore Gray

man celebrating on the phone

How to strike a better deal with your cable company

By Whitson Gordon

a turkey dinner on a plate

How to cook and eat a turkey without dying

By Rachel Feltman

One notebook could replace all the productivity apps that have failed you

By Amy Schellenbaum

Declawing cats is harmful. Do this instead.

A person standing on a sidewalk outside while using their phone.

How to avoid common phone-related injuries

A man sitting and holding an electric fan in front of his face.

4 ways to keep cool when the temperature spikes

By Claire Maldarelli

Ants climbing on an electrical wire.

Fight ant infestations with these expert tips

By Mary Beth Griggs

An alligator resting on a grassy bank near a body of water.

How to avoid an alligator encounter—and what to do if you can’t

By Alisha McDarris

A Muslim woman daydreaming while sitting in front of a laptop outdoors.

Daydreaming can have loads of benefits—if you do it right

By Nadia Bajuelo

Two people walking on a trail in the wilderness, heading toward a body of water and some mountains

Tips for picking the best hiking trail

By Nadia Bajuelo

How to declutter your kids’ artwork while keeping what matters

How to declutter your kids’ artwork while keeping what matters

By Jean Levasseur

couple waking up to alarm

Choose an alarm app that will actually wake you up

cleaning stain on carpet

How to remove stains of any kind

A person lying on a white mattress in dim light, with one arm across their forehead, one arm on their stomach, and a phone next to them.

The best way to prevent arm pain from using your phone too much

Hand in rubber gloves with a cleaning product sprayer

Master odor removal with a little help from science

A woman in a blue dress looking away and down to the side, as eight hands reach out to her from the edge of the frame.

How to break free of the bystander effect and help someone in trouble

By Tyler Santora

A lean to shelter built on a rock side.

Three ways to build a winter survival shelter

By Jim Baird/Field & Stream

Person holding a clock

Tech tips for working with people in different time zones

Orange flames on wood

Everything you need to know to start a fire

By Popular Science Team

Fomes fomentarius fungus

The two types of fungi you want in your fire-starting kit

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

Bearded man wearing a surgical mask on the street

5 must-know tips for safely wearing a mask over facial hair

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

Green camping tent in the middle of a snowy mountain

How to stay warm while sleeping in the frigid outdoors

By Alisha McDarris

A person spraying a can of WD40 in a garage.

20 ingenious uses for WD-40

By Bill Heavey/Field & Stream

A man in a gray t-shirt removing or putting on a surgical face mask by only touching the ear loops.

Why you shouldn’t ever wear your mask around your neck

By Erin Fennessy

A person wearing glasses and laying on a bed while reading a book.

Keep your brain in shape by reading more books

Fog billowing off a misty mountain forest.

How to survive three days in the wild

By Keith McCafferty/Field & Stream

Person walking in forest in the middle of a snow storm.

Dress like an Alaskan to weather the winter cold

By Tyler Freel/ Outdoor Life

A man sleeping in a bed on a pillow with a white blanket.

Take the best naps, with science

By John Kennedy

An apple on the ground in the forest, surrounded by fallen leaves.

Once you know what happens to food you leave outdoors, you’ll stop doing it

By Alisha McDarris

A person using a piping bag to pipe frosting onto a chocolate cake.

Four tips for bake-off worthy cakes

a woman lays back in a bath tub while looking relaxed

To take the most relaxing bath ever, add some healthy tips

By Rachel Feltman

Hand holding a fire work in the dark

2020 stunk. Here’s how to start 2021 with a fresh mindset

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

6 tricks for avoiding a hangover

a photo of wrapping paper and a Christmas gift shaped like a cylinder

Tips for wrapping gifts of any shape

By Whitson Gordon

wickiup survival shelter

Winter survival shelters you should know how to build

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

Bare hand holding heart-shaped snow ball.

Five tips for taking care of your over-washed hands

By Sandra Gutierrez G.

two children sledding downhill

How to speed up your sled with scientific tricks

By Sophie Bushwick

scraping ice and snow off a car windshield

The right and wrong ways to clear ice and snow from your car

Get rid of the remote controls you don’t need. Here’s how.

By Whitson Gordon

Rescue dried-out cheese with this simple trick

Rescue dried-out cheese with this simple trick

By Benjamin Kember/Saveur

a campfire in a designated fire area

How to build and extinguish a campfire without sparking a catastrophe

By Alisha McDarris

winter survival plants you can eat

13 edible plants you can still find in the winter

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

An image of a road covered in snow during a blizzard.

How to survive a snowstorm from inside your truck

By Keith McCafferty

How to make perfect pie crust with the power of science

How to make perfect pie crust with the power of science

By Rachel Feltman

a blonde woman sitting in a chair by a window in a white sweater and jeans

Keep your home warm without blasting the heat

a person walking down an aisle in a store

How to stock your pantry to endure a long, uncertain winter

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

Wood filters, hot rocks, and seven other ways to purify water in the wild

Wood filters, hot rocks, and seven other ways to purify water in the wild

By Tim MacWelch/ Outdoor Life

a man sitting and thinking in a room

How to decide who to vote for

By John Kennedy

Little banana and chile tarts dusted with flour or sugar

There’s a science to food pairing, and you can learn it here

By Peter Coucquyt, Bernard Lahousse, and Johan Langenbick

Dungeness Crabs

14 wild edibles you can pull right out of the ocean

By Bob Mcnally/Field & Stream

A ruby-throated hummingbird that hit a glass window, held in someone's hand

How to help an injured bird

By Purbita Saha

a black bear standing near a tree

Simple tips for getting black bears to leave you alone

By Alisha McDarris

a woman standing calm and happy in the sunlight

Fight election season burnout with these mental health tips

By Rachael Zisk