The Upgrade by Lifehacker

Mornings. Many of us hate them; some of us love them; all of us want to make the best of them. But how exactly do we do that? First we ask Benjamin Spall, co-author of My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired, about creating the ultimate morning routine. We also talk to Vanessa Marin, a licensed sex therapist (and regular “After Hours” Lifehacker contributor) about why we should occasionally ditch the routine and just do it. And Melissa quizzes Alice about the quirky (and sometimes bizarre) habits (morning and otherwise) of famous artists. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Whether you’re dealing with a bad boss or disgruntled employees (or a great boss and enthusiastic employees) you’ve got an opinion on the employer/employee dynamic. This week we heard from the Lifehacker audience about their worst bosses. Then Lifehacker’s managing editor Virginia Smith talks to Ask a Manager’s Alison Green about what your manager wants you to know. Finally, Alice and Melissa talk about the out-of-office auto-reply: does anyone really need it? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey Upgrade listeners! We want to hear your horrible boss stories, and how you solved the situation, if you were indeed able to solve it. Leave us a message at (347) 687 - 8109, or send us a voice memo at upgrade@lifehacker.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Want to totally change your life? Coss Marte tells us how he went from drug kingpin to fitness entrepreneur using a regimen he developed in prison, and gives us your new gym playlist for becoming a total beast. We go to Scary Corner with newsman Lawrence O'Donnell to learn about why people are so effing scared of socialism, and Lawrence joins us for Upgrade of the Week, where Melissa recommends a life-changing bike accessory and Alice announces a new fitness plan of her own. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re back from summer vacation with writer Ottessa Mosfegh, Gilmore Girls’ Keiko Agena, a new format, new segments and a ton of new hacks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we talk to Stephen Snyder, a sex and couples therapist, and the author of Love Worth Making: How to Have Ridiculously Great Sex in a Long-Lasting Relationship. We’ll discuss why you should be sexually selfish, how the idea of “desire” can mess up your sex life, and why Stephen is against cuddling. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we talk to Manoush Zomorodi, host of WNYC’s Note to Self and author of “Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self.” Back in 2015, Manoush wondered if being plugged in all the time to a constant stream of entertainment and information actually made our lives worse. She noticed that we’re never bored—and she wondered, what is that lack of boredom doing to us? Manoush led her listeners through an experiment to help them unplug—and it was a huge success: after taking part in the experiment listeners reported feeling more creative and productive, and more satisfied with their lives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we’re talking about cults: how they operate, how you identify one, what it’s like to be in one, and how to get out. To that end, we’re talking with Rick Alan Ross, the founder and Executive Director of the Cult Education Institute and an internationally known expert on destructive cults, controversial groups and movements. We’re also talking to author Rebecca Stott, whose book “In the Days of Rain: A Father, a Daughter, a Cult” details her childhood in the Exclusive Brethren, a cult that believed the world is ruled by Satan. And we speak with Elizabeth Yuko, a journalist who’s written extensively about cults. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Alan Alda and The Moth’s Catherine Burns join us to talk about storytelling. What makes a good story? What makes a good storyteller? How can we use storytelling to communicate better, to sell people on our ideas, to make people like us?Actor, director, screenwriter, author and science advocate Alan Alda is the founder of the Alda Center for Communicating Science and Alda Communication Training, which trains scientists and businesspeople to use improv in order to more effectively get their ideas across. Catherine Burns is artistic director of The Moth, the non-profit dedicated to the art and craft of stories told live and without notes. We talk with both about the magic and science of storytelling and effective communication. Additionally, Lifehacker staff writer Beth Skwarecki speaks with a children’s librarian about how best to tell a bedtime story, and Lifehacker staff writer Nick Douglas schools us on Dan Harmon’s guide to structuring any written story. 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 psychopaths: what exactly is a psychopath, how to identify them and what to do if you suspect you might be dating one. We talk with Jen Waite, author of A Beautiful, Terrible Thing: A Memoir of Marriage and Betrayal about her marriage to someone who turned out to embody the textbook definition of a psychopath, as well Columbia University professor of psychiatry Michael Stone about the clinical and forensic applications of the psychopathy spectrum. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.