The Upgrade by Lifehacker
by Lifehacker
Each week, Jordan Calhoun and Meghan Walbert of Lifehacker brings in all-star guests to tackle the stuff that matters—like how to be happy, how to buy a TV, how to be less bad with money and how to tell if you’re dating a psychopath. Look, you're doing great, but quite frankly we think you can be a little better. All your friends do too. It's time for The Upgrade.
Episodes
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A Message for Listeners
We're taking a brief hiatus, but please don't leave us! We'll be back soon!
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How to Find Your Voice, With Vocal Coach Denise Woods (RECAST)
This week we're fine-tuning our instruments with help from Hollywood vocal coach, Denise Woods. Denise has been a professional vocal and dialect coach for over 20 years and has worked with stars like Will Smith, Halle Berry, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Chastain, and Mahershala Ali. Listen to hear…
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How to Tame Your Inner Critic, With Psychologist Ethan Kross (RECAST)
Ever find yourself in an anxiety spiral, ruminating over things that stress you out? If so, you're in luck because this week we're learning how to better control that voice in our heads with help from psychologist Ethan Kross. Ethan is a professor at the University of Michigan’s Psychology...
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How to Pay Better Attention, With Neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha
This week we're learning how to better focus and pay attention with help from neuroscientist Dr. Amishi Jha. Dr. Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami and the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative. She's also the author…
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Introducing Gadgettes!
The team at Gizmodo has a brand new podcast womansplaining the latest technology. Each week hosts Florence Ion and Caitlin McGarry sit down to talk about the latest gadgets and the biggest headlines in tech. Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
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How to Be a Tourist Without Being an Asshole, With Travel Journalist Sara Clemence
This week we're learning how to be better, more conscientious travelers with help from travel journalist Sara Clemence. Listen to hear Sara's advice on how to find destinations that aren't experiencing "overtourism," and what research to do and choices to make that have a more positive impact on...
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How to Talk to Kids About Religion When You Don’t Know What to Say, With Wendy Thomas Russell
This week we're talking with award-winning author Wendy Thomas Russell about tackling the tricky topic of religion with kids—whether you're religious yourself or not. Listen to hear Wendy's advice on how to talk about the religions that are embedded in our culture and answer tricky questions…
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How to Be a Better Reader, With Librarian Margaret H. Willison (RECAST)
This week we're learning how to be a better reader with help from librarian and podcaster Margaret H. Willison. Listen to hear Margaret break down how we should re-think our definitions of "good" or "well-read" readers, and the tactics we can use to improve our reading game. After our…
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How to Not Die Alone, With Dating Coach Logan Ury (RECAST)
This week we're learning how to tackle the notorious challenge of dating with help from Logan Ury—Director of Relationship Science at Hinge and author of the new book, How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love. Listen to hear Logan talk about what we so often get...
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How to Take Care of Your Skin Microbiome, With Physician James Hamblin (RECAST)
This week we're learning how to better care for our skin with help from physician and Atlantic staff writer James Hamblin. Listen to hear James explain why using less soap might actually be better for your skin's microbiome and how we should be re-thinking what "good hygiene" really is. James is...
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How to Be a Successful Culture Critic, With William Evans and Omar Holmon
This week we're learning how to become successful, effective critics of popular culture with help from Black Nerd Problems co-founders William Evans and Omar Holmon. Listen to hear William and Omar explain how to find your lane as a critic, grow your audience, and develop that ever-necessary…
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How to Survive a Disaster, With Crisis Reporter Judith Matloff (RECAST)
This week we're learning how to survive all sorts of disasters—from hurricanes to earthquakes to war zones and beyond with crisis reporter Judith Matloff. Listen to hear her best tips for surviving a wide range of scary situations, as well as how to prepare yourself for the unexpected both...
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How to Lovehack Your Marriage, With Psychologist Eli Finkel
This week we're learning how to strengthen the health of our marriages with help from psychologist Eli Finkel. Eli is a professor at Northwestern University and the author of the bestselling book The All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work. Listen to hear Eli's tips on why marriage...
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How to Be Happy Right Now, With Dr. Laurie Santos (RECAST)
It goes without saying that this pandemic has had a huge impact on our mental health. So this week, we sit down with The Happiness Lab's Dr. Laurie Santos to learn some of the science-backed strategies we can use to help us cope, and even find some happiness. Dr. Santos is a Professor of…
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How to Get a New Job in 2021, With Ramit Sethi (RECAST)
This week we're learning how to land a new job in a challenging economy, with personal finance expert (and friend of The Upgrade) Ramit Sethi. Listen to hear Ramit's tips on writing a great resume and cover letter, how to get clear on what your dream job actually is, and how to negotiate even…
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How to Change Your Mindset to Get Better at Anything, With Eduardo Briceño
This week we're learning how to shift our mindsets with help from growth mindset expert, Eduardo Briceño. Eduardo is the most booked keynote speaker on growth mindset and the co-founder of Mindset Works, which he created alongside Stanford professor Carol Dweck. Listen to hear Eduardo give tips…
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How to Not Go Broke When You Need Healthcare, With Journalist Dan Weissmann
This week we're learning how to navigate our impossible healthcare system and avoid huge medical expenses with help from award-winning journalist, Dan Weissman. Dan has worked as a staff reporter for Marketplace and Chicago’s WBEZ, and is now the host of the podcast An Arm and a Leg which...
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How to Negotiate Absolutely Anything, With Negotiation Expert Victoria Medvec
This week we're learning how to negotiate effectively with help from negotiation expert, Dr. Victoria Medvec. Vicki is a Professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, as well as a co-founder and the Executive Director of the Center for Executive Women at the Kellogg...
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How to Change Your Life Through the Power of Suggestion, With Science Journalist Erik Vance (RECAST)
This week we're learning about hypnosis, the placebo effect, and the ways we can use the power of suggestion to our advantage with help from science journalist Erik Vance. Listen to hear Erik discuss how the placebo effect works, the ways in which we may be able to use hypnosis to help us with...
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How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes, With Melinda Wenner Moyer
This week we're tackling the trickiest parenting questions and dilemmas with help from science journalist, Melinda Wenner Moyer. Melinda is an award-winning journalist who writes about science, parenting, and medicine, and she’s a contributing editor at Scientific American, The New York Times,...
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How to Have Deeper Conversations, With Ximena Vengoechea
This week we're chatting with writer and user researcher Ximena Vengoechea about how to improve on our listening skills and have better, deeper conversations. Listen to hear Ximena give great tips on how to be more present in a conversation, how to set boundaries when you're someone's default...
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How to Never Miss a Deadline, With Journalist Christopher Cox
This week we're learning how to get better with deadlines with help from journalist Christopher Cox. Christopher is the former chief editor of Harper’s Magazine and executive editor of GQ, and has a new book out called The Deadline Effect: How to Work Like It’s The Last Minute—Before The Last...
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How to Be an Adult, With Julie Lythcott-Haims
This week we're learning how to grow up with help from writer Julie Lythcott-Haims. Julie is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise An Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success, as well as Real American: A Memoir. Listen to hear Julie's advice on...
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How to Fight Burnout, With Writer Anne Helen Petersen (RECAST)
This week we're learning how to fight the burnout we might not even realize we're suffering from with help from journalist Anne Helen Petersen. Tune in to hear Anne's advice on how to recognize your own burnout, how to make space in your day for a breather, and how we as a society can start to...
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How to Time Your Life Perfectly, With Author Daniel Pink (RECAST)
This week we're learning how to nail perfect timing with New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink. Hear Daniel explain why certain hours of the day are more productive than others, how we can battle the mid-afternoon slump, and why certain dates are more effective for starting a new routine...
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How to Reenter Society Post-Pandemic, With Therapist Chamin Ajjan
This week we're learning how to reacclimate ourselves with the "return to normal" with help from therapist Chamin Ajjan. Chamin brings her 20+ years of experience in psychotherapy to help us tackle everything from how to get comfortable with parties again, to how to transition from online to...
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How to Transform Your Life Through Leisure, With Writers John Fitch and Max Frenzel (RECAST)
This week we're learning how time off can actually help us be more productive, with help from writers John Fitch and Max Frenzel. Listen to hear how to build a healthy rest ethic, what leisure practices can help spark creativity, and how we can encourage more time off in our productivity-obsessed...
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How to Live a Greener Life Without Losing Your Mind, With Laurie David and Heather Reisman
This week we're learning how to start being a little friendlier to the earth without completely overhauling our lives with help from activists Laurie David and Heather Reisman. Laurie is an environmental activist and an award-winning documentary film producer, having produced such films as Fed…
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How to Learn to Like Running, With Strength Running's Jason Fitzgerald
This week we're kicking our butts into gear and learning how to actually enjoy the act of running with help from Strength Running founder, Jason Fitzgerald. Jason is a USA Track & Field certified coach and host of The Strength Running Podcast. Listen to hear Jason's advice on how to actually…
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How to Beat Your Junk Food Addiction, With Michael Moss
This week we're tackling our cravings for processed food with help from journalist Michael Moss. Michael is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, and his latest book is called Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions....
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How to Stop Feeling Like an Impostor, With Psychologist Dr. Jessamy Hibberd (RECAST)
This week we’re talking about impostor syndrome—the psychological phenomenon wherein people question their successes and have an internalized fear of being discovered as a fraud. We’ll hear from Lifehacker’s staff writer, Nick Douglas, who explains why he keeps something called a “brag file.”…
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How to Embrace Minimalism, With Christine Platt
This week we're learning how to pare down our belongings and embrace the freeing feeling of a minimalist lifestyle with help from author and advocate Christine Platt (aka The Afrominimalist). Listen to hear Christine's brilliant tips on how to start decluttering without overwhelming yourself, how...
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How to Negotiate Like a Pro, With Personal Finance Expert Farnoosh Torabi (RECAST)
This week we’re learning about the ins and outs of negotiation. We’ll find out how to get someone to “yes” when they’re all about “no”; when and how the robots are going to negotiate for us; and what to do to get the raise you deserve. Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109…
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How to Talk to Anyone, With Podcaster Ken Plume (RECAST)
In this episode we’re talking about the lost art of conversation-making. Joining us is podcaster and raconteur Ken Plume, who has conducted extensive interviews with the likes of Mel Brooks and John Cleese. We discuss how Ken got his start feeling comfortable talking to just about anyone, how he...
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How to Get Things Done, With Productivity Expert David Allen (RECAST)
This week we chat with productivity legend David Allen about GTD, his gold-standard time management philosophy. Lifehacker staffers share their productivity secrets as well. Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]....
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How to Get Better at Marketing, With Seth Godin
This week we're improving on our marketing skills with help from entrepreneur and marketing expert Seth Godin. Listen to hear Seth's insightful tips on the mentality we should have when it comes to our marketing strategy, finding your audience, and the common mistakes to avoid when starting to...
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How to Set Healthy Boundaries, With Therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab
This week we're solving our boundary issues with help from therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab. Nedra is the New York Times bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself, and she joins us this week to talk about how we can learn to recognize when our own boundaries…
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How to Tame Your Inner Critic, With Psychologist Ethan Kross
Ever find yourself in an anxiety spiral, ruminating over things that stress you out? If so, you're in luck because this week we're learning how to better control that voice in our heads with help from psychologist Ethan Kross. Ethan is a professor at the University of Michigan’s Psychology...
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How to Get Out of Debt, With Personal Finance Expert Farnoosh Torabi (RECAST)
On this episode of The Upgrade, we're tackling debt. Crippling, anxiety-inducing debt. It can be hard to know where to start when facing such a heavy burden. Fortunately, we got some help. First, hear Lifehacker staff writer Lisa Rowan answer Upgrade listener and Lifehacker reader-submitted...
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How to Be a Beginner, With Journalist Tom Vanderbilt
This week we're learning how to embrace being a beginner again (and why we should) with help from journalist Tom Vanderbilt. Tom is the best-selling author of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), and You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice, and his latest...
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How Psychedelics Can Expand Your Consciousness, With Michael Pollan (RECAST)
Michael Pollan has been writing about the intersection of nature and culture for over 30 years. He may be best known as the guy who summed up his principles for eating thusly: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." He is the author of several books, including In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s...
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How to Be More Hopeful, With Anne Lamott
This week we're speaking with the ever-inspiring Anne Lamott—progressive political activist, writer, and bestselling author of such books as Bird by Bird, Traveling Mercies, and Operating Instructions. Anne's latest book is called Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage, and she joins us this...
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How to Find Your Voice, With Vocal Coach Denise Woods
This week we're fine-tuning our instruments with help from Hollywood vocal coach, Denise Woods. Denise has been a professional vocal and dialect coach for over 20 years and has worked with stars like Will Smith, Halle Berry, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Chastain, and Mahershala Ali. Listen to hear…
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How to Not Die Alone, With Dating Coach Logan Ury
This week we're learning how to tackle the notorious challenge of dating with help from Logan Ury—Director of Relationship Science at Hinge and author of the new book, How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love. Listen to hear Logan talk about what we so often get...
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How to Be Happy Right Now, With Dr. Laurie Santos
It goes without saying that this pandemic has had a huge impact on our mental health. So this week, we sit down with The Happiness Lab's Dr. Laurie Santos to learn some of the science-backed strategies we can use to help us cope, and even find some happiness. Dr. Santos is a Professor of…
more -
How to Get a New Job in 2021, With Ramit Sethi
This week we're learning how to land a new job in a challenging economy, with personal finance expert (and friend of The Upgrade) Ramit Sethi. Listen to hear Ramit's tips on writing a great resume and cover letter, how to get clear on what your dream job actually is, and how to negotiate even…
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How to Upgrade 2021, With Cool Tools’ Mark Frauenfelder and Kevin Kelly
This week we're learning about the tools and tech we need to upgrade our lives in 2021. Helping us are Mark Frauenfelder and Kevin Kelly—hosts of the Cool Tools podcast and the Cool Tools blog. Listen to hear Mark and Kevin's recommendations for what to get for the best work from home experience,...
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How to Change Your Life Through the Power of Suggestion, With Science Journalist Erik Vance
This week we're learning about hypnosis, the placebo effect, and the ways we can use the power of suggestion to our advantage with help from science journalist Erik Vance. Listen to hear Erik discuss how the placebo effect works, the ways in which we may be able to use hypnosis to help us with...
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How to Hack Happiness With Gretchen Rubin (RECAST)
Gretchen Rubin practically invented the concept of hacking your happiness. She's the author of The Happiness Project, host of the podcast Happier with Grethen Rubin, and for years has been exploring the good habits that bring joy to everyday life. She's here to chat about how we can get happy and...
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How to Get Over Yourself, With Mark Epstein (RECAST)
Author and psychiatrist Mark Epstein's books include Thoughts Without a Thinker, and Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart. His latest book, Advice Not Given, uses Buddhism's Noble Eightfold Path as a roadmap for spiritual and psychological growth. According to Mark, Buddhism and psychotherapy...
About this show
Each week, Jordan Calhoun and Meghan Walbert of Lifehacker brings in all-star guests to tackle the stuff that matters—like how to be happy, how to buy a TV, how to be less bad with money and how to tell if you’re dating a psychopath. Look, you're doing great, but quite frankly we think you can be a little better. All your friends do too. It's time for The Upgrade.
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Lifehacker