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 listening ear, and the best kinds of questions to ask to prompt more interesting interactions. Ximena's new book is called, Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection.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 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 Minute. Listen to hear Christopher explain the economic phenomenon of the Deadline Effect, what productivity tips he learned in his research on organizations that are successful with project rollouts, and how we can structure our due dates to help ourselves and the people we work with succeed in always meeting our deadlines.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!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 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 navigating your career path fresh out of college, how to get better at connecting with strangers, and how to best support a young person in this transition into full adulthood.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!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 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 change this culture of hyper-productivity. Anne's latest book is Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation, which comes out in September.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!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 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 than others. Daniel's most recent book is When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!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 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 in-person dating, and how to handle those difficult relationships with people who you've disagreed with over the course of the pandemic. Chamin is a Certified Sex Therapist, a Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, and the Clinical Director and founder of Chamin Ajjan Psychotherapy.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!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 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 society. John and Max are the authors of the book Time Off: A Practical Guide to Building Your Rest Ethic and Finding Success Without the Stress.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!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 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 Up, The Social Dilemma, and the Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Heather is the CEO of the Canadian company Indigo Books & Music, as well as a documentary film producer, having co-executive produced Fed Up and The Social Dilemma. Laurie and Heather have published a new book, Imagine It!: A Handbook for a Happier Planet, and they joined us to talk about how we can start to make small but meaningful changes that can make a big difference in helping us to avoid complete environmental destruction. Like the show? Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!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 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 start a running habit as a beginner, the best strategies for injury prevention, and why perfection is not what we should be aiming for.Like the show? Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!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 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. Listen to hear Michael explain the science and psychology behind what gets us addicted to junk food, and how we can use this information to conquer our bad habits.Like the show? Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.