🗣 Find your voice – and use it!

🌈 Send us your questions on queer relationships

View this email online Sol Cotti/NPR Friends, We’ve been feeling a little tongue-tied lately. In the face of tragedy after tragedy, it’s hard to know what to say or do. But it’s important to find your own vocabulary for grief.  When the woes of the world feel too big to process, it’s the small things – making your favorite meal, kind words to a neighbor, sharing that perfect song with a friend – that can make the biggest difference. Everyone has something to share, whether they’re caring clowns or thoughtful florists tending to the needs of the families in Uvalde, or students in Seattle fighting for LGBTQ rights or K-pop stars talking about anti-Asian hate at the White House. These hard times are still hard, but self-expression can offer a release from all the heavy, mixed up emotions you might be feeling. Whether your tool is your pen, your vocal chords, your advocacy or other forms of creativity – we’re here to help you find and use your unique voice.   Newsletter continues after sponsor message Start with these takeaways from some of our favorite episodes on different ways to express yourself.  📓 Medium doesn’t matter – the key is to articulate your thoughts.  We love our journaling time here at Life Kit. It’s a great way to get out of your head, untangle complicated feelings or begin to process the hard stuff. And you don’t need a fancy bullet journal or set routine to reap the benefits of expressive writing. Grab that crayon and a Post-It! Record some voice memos! It all counts.  🎵Remember to breathe to bring power to your own voice. Our episode on how to start singing reminds us that honing your authentic voice takes time and effort and vulnerability – and deep full breaths. Breathing all the way into your belly will help you  find your fullest singing voice. It’s not always easy to put yourself out there, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying the process. NPR 📖 Tell your own story – understand how you've changed.  Our experts from our episode on how to tell a good story say there is no perfect ending – you just need to end at a different spot from where you started. Focus on your transformation and lessons learned, no matter how small.  📢Amplify other voices.  If you don’t always have the right words but appreciate those of others, let them know it! Share them around! That’s what our experts in the episode on strategies to be heard at work tell us. There are a lot of causes out there and a lot of people that deserve a platform. Help raise them above the chatter.  💞 Use common interests to feel connected – and get real. When you feel overwhelmed, it helps to talk it out with someone who understands. Whether it’s on an online forum, at a school club or with a friend who lives far away, look for “anchors” of common interest in your community that can help you feel linked to others and safe to express yourself.    Here’s to raising your voice, friends! We can’t all sound like Adele, but we’ve all got something to say. –Andee Tagle, Life Kit producer   It’s Pride month!  ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 We're working on an episode about first queer relationships and we want to hear your stories! 🌈How did you navigate your first queer relationship? 🌈First-timers, what do you want to know? 📧Send us your experiences, thoughts and questions to lifekit@npr.org  Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy