Better Me

After six years and more than 180 episodes, I've decided that it's time to put the Better Me Podcast to bed. Three of my favourite people, who were also guests on previous episodes, joined me to say farewell. My dear friend Jennifer Diehr, who was a guest multiple times to talk about books, and author Kelly S. Thompson, whom I met because she was a guest in 2023 joined me. Also, my daughter Sydney Burns joined us for this special episode.Thank you for listening these past six years. I hope that found something valuable, or at least entertaining in those many episodes. As always, please, take care of yourself.

Fall is a good busy time, and snow has arrived, but when exactly does winter start?

Julie M. Green was diagnosed with autism when her autistic son, Carson, was ten years old. She joined me to talk about her experience as a mom with autism and how her own diagnosis helped her to better understand and care for herself. Her new book Motherhood: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood and Radical Acceptance, is out from ECW Press.Julie's website - https://juliemgreen.ca/homeJulie's Substack page - https://theautisticmom.substack.comECW Press page on the book - https://ecwpress.com/products/motherness

My dear friend Jennifer Diehr returned to the podcast to talk about the World Series, what we've been reading, and the terrible algebra course we met in a long, long time ago.

Dr. Brittany Penner, an author and practicing family physician in Manitoba, joined me to talk about her new memoir, "Children Like Us: A Métis Woman's Memoir of Family, Identity and Walking Herself Home," growing up as an Indigenous woman in a non-Indigenous family, the 60s Scoop, and how her experiences growing up, including multiple traumatic events, shaped who she is as a person and a doctor.A note of warning, in this episode, we're going to talk about sexual assault and suicide. I'll include some support information in the show notes, but if this is going to be triggering for you, you may not want to listen to this episode.Canada - Sexual Assault Centres, Crisis Lines, and Support Services -https://endingviolencecanada.org/sexual-assault-centres-crisis-lines-and-support-services/U.S.A. - National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence - Hotlines - https://www.ncdsv.org/hotlines.html

Author Ashley Herring Blake joined me to talk about her writing process and what it's like to have her books banned.

Here we are with the start of another season of the Better Me Podcast. In this episode, you'll hear about some of the upcoming episodes, self-care, and my impending experience with empty-nest syndrome.

It's time to take some time off for the summer, but before I go, I recorded this episode on having patience with yourself and setting up your supports and tools before you need them.

Writer and illustrator Gabrielle Drolet joined me to talk about her struggles with chronic pain, its effects on her ability to write and draw, and what that has meant for her identity and mental health.

Unexpected things happen all the time in our typical days. We need to keep an eye out for the ones that will make us smile or laugh. I also talk about the parody film Hardware Wars (1978), which I was reminded of when I recently saw the trailer for the sequel to Spaceballs.

Award-winning author Tessa McWatt and I had a lovely chat about the role that elders, whether human or trees, play in the world. We spoke about her latest book, The Snag: A Mother, A Forest and Wild Grief, and about the joy and peace we both find in writing.

Friend and fellow educator and podcaster Terry Greene joined me to discuss our concerns regarding generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).

Best-selling author Claire Cameron joined me to discuss her latest book, How to Survive a Bear Attack. We talked about an infamous bear attack, how much bears and humans are alike, and how her life has changed since a cancer diagnosis.

Once Renee Hess discovered the game of Hockey, she was hooked. But as a black woman, she found that she and women and girls like her weren’t always welcomed into that space as fans, players, or the families of players. Out of that came the founding of the Black Girls Hockey Club. Renee joined me to talk about her journey into the hockey world, what BGHC is and does, and the role that individual self-care has on a community.

Noelle Podar was finally living as the person she truly is, but as a trans woman, she couldn’t keep silent anymore about what the U.S. government and others are doing to the trans community. She joined me to talk about her journey and becoming a reluctant activist.

Depression can mean missing out on years or experiences. In this episode, I talk about that and how I’m trying to make up for some of what I missed out on.

Welcome to the new season! It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years and 166 episodes. Here’s a bit of a preview of what’s coming up. Oh, and be sure to follow me on Bluesky: @mctoonish

This is the final episode of 2024. In it, I shared some of the things I’m trying to keep in mind to care for myself and things I’m hoping you will take to heart as well.

Dr. Najwa Zebian, my guest for episode 64, joins me 100 episodes later to talk about her latest book The Only Constant and to talk about why change can be so challenging for people.

Best-selling author Oliver Burkeman and I discussed the fact that we all have choices in life as long as we’re willing to deal with the consequences and that what is often called our "comfort zone” may not be all that comfortable.

Bestselling Canadian author and journalist Elizabeth Renzetti joined me to discuss her new book What She Said: Conversations About Equality. We talked about the way victims of intimate partner violence and sexual assault are treated and about the shifting attitudes of young men toward the gains women and members of marginalized groups have made.

Author Michelle Hébert joins me to discuss her debut novel Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, which is a story of a quirky and intriguing family in Nova Scotia dealing with grief and ghosts. It’s also filled with lots of fun 80s references.

Bestselling author Lisa Moore joined me to discuss her latest book, Invisible Prisons: Jack Whalen’s Tireless Fight For Justice. Moore co-authored the book with Whalen, who spent four years in the Whitbourne Training School for Boys in Newfoundland, half of which he spent in solitary confinement.

Best-selling author and award-winning scientist Dr. Diana Beresford-Kroeger joined me to talk about her latest book Our Green Heart: The Soul and Science of Forests, the benefits of forest bathing, and why we should all be planting more trees (and what kinds we should plant).

Loleen Berdahl joined me again, and we talked about how so much of the productivity advice out there is by and for people in positions of privilege for whom saying “no” and setting their own schedule can be much easier than it is for others.

Welcome back for the new season! In this episode, I talk about the change to our schedule and the importance of making informed decisions when voting.

I’ll be back in the fall, but I took a few minutes to talk about why I do this podcast, the importance of taking breaks, and having boundaries that protect you and others from being pushed too hard. Find me on Instagram at @heathermross

At a time when I’m hearing so much from people about feeling burned out, asking simple questions can help you see how what you may have learned matters and what matters for you to focus on in your life right now.

For a lot of us, especially those working from home, the end of your workday can be hard to spot. In this episode, I share some thoughts on tips recently shared in a video by Todoist.The video can be found at https://youtu.be/jiWKdb-4sDE?feature=shared.

If we’re always racing around or staring at a screen, our brain doesn’t have the chance to ponder what we’ve been consuming. Give yourself time to let ideas come to the forefront and capture them before they’re gone. 

Writer Misty Pratt joined me to talk about her new book “All in Her Head: How Gender Bias Harms Women’s Mental Health.”

This is a reminder that pausing from the chaos of our days, even just five minutes, can bring a lot of benefits.

Writer Denise Chong joined me to talk about her latest book *Out of Darkness*, domestic violence, and the troubling way many victims are still perceived.If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, please see the resources below.https://sheltersafe.ca/ - Sheltersafe - Canadahttps://kidshelpphone.ca/need-help-now-text-us/ - Kids Help Phone - Canadahttps://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/here-s-who-to-contact-if-you-need-help-dealing-with-domestic-violence-in-canada-1.5188182 - see this article for more support broken down by province.https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/programs/family-violence-prevention-services/programs/ndvh#:~:text=Accessibility,and%20the%20U.S.%20Virgin%20Islands. - National Domestic Violence Hotline - US

Our mental health can be harmed by how others treat us, which is why  Awareness and Heritage Months are important to our mental health.

Sometimes we tell ourselves “I have no choice” because it’s easier than having to consider what can happen if you choose

Sometimes you need to ask yourself the question, “Why do I do that?”

Award-winning Canadian journalist Sally Armstrong joined me to discuss the new book she co-authored, some amazing women who have made a difference and what drives her to cover war zones and oppression.

What are you putting off today that you’ll have to deal with tomorrow? What are you doing that you’ll pay for a decade from now? In this episode, I address these considerations and disclose my issue with shoe laces. 

We have lots of distractions in our lives and they come from a variety of sources. How can you block them out? Which ones should you let distract you?

What you eat and drink is important to your health, but so is the content you read online, listen to on the radio, and share on social media. In this episode, I talk about making changes to lower your stress and fuel your ability to solve daily problems.

Self-care takes many forms, but what you do to care for yourself in the moment, shouldn’t come at the expense of your long-term well-being.

Frequent guest Loleen Berdahl joined me to talk about how we each take time on Fridays to prepare for the following week, and beyond.

Writer, speaker, and podcaster Todd Henry joined me for our third conversation on the Better Me Podcast. We spoke about his latest book, The Brave Habit, and the major change he made to his podcast after 18 years.You can find Todd and The Daily Creative Podcast at https://www.toddhenry.com/

This episode includes a bit about how I'm trying to improve my wake-up routine, a challenge for you around bravery, and a preview of some of the upcoming guests.

For this episode, I took a few minutes to share some thoughts on Larry David, Elmo, and the mocking Will Wheaton received for sharing about his own trauma and PTSD.

In this episode, I talk a bit about what I’ve been reading, what I learned from Katy Milkman’s book How to Change, and putting courage into others.

To kick off a new season of the Better Me Podcast, Kelly S. Thompson took over the podcast and interviewed me. We talked about why I do the podcast, why we need to talk about mental health, and that we both Bullet Journal.

This is the final episode of 2023. I talked a bit about wrapping up the year and preparing for 2024. I also shared some information about getting help if you’re struggling mentally during this holiday season and beyond. Suicide Crisis Hotline (U.S. and Canada) 988List of Suicide Crisis Lines from around the world - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines

Fran Eldridge joined me to talk about her debut book A Moment of Clarity, a collection of short fiction stories based on her own experiences growing up in Nova Scotia and her life in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Author Kelly S. Thompson joined me again to talk about our recent in-person visit, setting intentions for 2024, and holiday traditions. You can find Kelly online at https://kellysthompson.com/