The Upgrade by Lifehacker

What can we do to live longer, healthier lives? Bulletproof Coffee founder Dave Asprey joins us on The Upgrade to talk about the practices he’s adopted that he believes will help us all lengthen our lifespans. Then Lifehacker’s Health Editor, Beth Skwarecki, talks about the longevity secrets she learned while visiting the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica—an area that author Dan Buettner has designated as a Blue Zone.Like the show? Have a suggestion? Leave us a voicemail at 347-687-8109 or send us a voice memo at upgrade@lifehacker.com, and we might even include it in the next episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we’re improving our public speaking skills with the help of expert Carmine Gallo, author of “Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds,” who tells us about the importance of story and emotion when it comes to presenting. Then hear Lifehacker’s Food Editor, Claire Lower, tell her own story about how she learned to get comfortable in front of a crowd.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do you ever find yourself spending way too much time worrying about what people think of you? Are you ready to let those needless concerns go to focus on other, more important things? This week on The Upgrade, we’re working through our issues with Mark Manson, author of “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck,” as well as revisiting our interview with writer Samantha Irby from our 2017 “How to Not Give a Shit” episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're talking fecal transplants, probiotics, gut flora and more this week. Do bacteria in your GI tract affect your moods? How does your microbiome affect your overall health?  We visit the lab of computational biologist Dr. Jose Clemente where he and his team study the efficacy of fecal transplants in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 questions about credit cards. Then, we're joined once again by personal finance expert Farnoosh Torabi, who coaches us on how to start to get a handle on debt. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Have you ever found yourself totally immobilized in the face of a decision? Why is deciding on something so difficult, whether it’s deciding what to have for dinner or whether we should move across the country? This week, we talk with neuroscientist David Redish about what is actually happening in our brains during the decision-making process. Then, we're joined by Lifehacker’s managing editor Virginia Smith to figure out how our moral, social and legal frameworks inform the decisions we make.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this smaller episode we’re diving into the topic of small talk. Is it there real value in shooting the breeze, or is it just inane jibber-jabber? Wherever you stand on the topic, you’re going to be called on to engage in small talk sooner or later—so how do you get more comfortable with it? Our producer asked the people who are probably the most fluent in small talk: bartenders. Then, Melissa and Alice are joined in the studio by Lifehacker staff writer Nick Douglas to discuss their varied feelings on idle chitchat, and if there’s any value in talking about the weather.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.” We’ll also chat with clinical psychologist Dr. Jessamy Hibberd, author of the book The Impostor Cure. And our producer takes to the streets to find out how people deal with their own feelings of inadequacy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We all think we’re experts at “doing nothing,” but there’s a difference between numbing out by staring at Facebook and truly letting your mind rest. There are concrete benefits to doing absolutely nothing—like actually being present in your life and noticing what’s around you. To help us constructively veg out, we’ve brought in essayist Pico Iyer, Lifehacker’s Human Resource Columnist Rob Walker, and artist and educator Jenny Odell, whose new book teaches us how to resist the “attention economy.” We recommend listening with your feet up and your eyes closed.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.