The Upgrade by Lifehacker

We're taking a brief hiatus, but please don't leave us! We'll be back soon!

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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 Denise gives tips on how to nix the bad habits of the “ums,” “ahs,” and “likes,” figure out your unique voice print, and learn to harness the power of your breath when speaking.

Denise's new book is called The Power of Voice: A Guide to Making Yourself Heard.

Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]. 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.

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 Department and Ross School of Business, and is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. His book is called Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It.

Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]. 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 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 of Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day. Listen to hear Dr. Jha explain why our minds wander the way that they do, and how we can start to better harness our attention.

Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]. 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.

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!

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 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 the local economy on the places you're visiting.

Sara is a travel writer and former travel editor for The Wall Street Journal, and news director at Travel + Leisure. She’s also the author of the book Away & Aware: A Field Guide to Mindful Travel.

Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]. 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 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 about God in a neutral and educational way. Wendy is the author of Relax, It’s Just God: How and Why to Talk to Your Kids About Religion When You’re Not Religious, and the co-author of ParentShift: Ten Universal Truths That Will Change the Way You Raise Your Kids.

Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]. 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 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 conversation with Margaret, we get tips from librarian and author Nancy Pearl on how to find a book you'll love.

Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]. 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 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 wrong about what makes someone a good match, how we're sabotaging ourselves when setting up our dating profiles, and what we can do to increase our odds of finding that special someone.

Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]. 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 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 the author of If Our Bodies Could Talk: Operating and Maintaining a Human Body, and his latest book is Clean: The New Science of Skin.

Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at [email protected]. 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.