Better Me
The Better Me Podcast explores how individuals handle life's difficulties and strive to become their best selves. Host Heather M. Ross, a writer and educator, talks with guests about mental health challenges and the ways they have overcome obstacles. She also opens up about her own experiences living with a mental illness while chasing her dreams.
Episodes
The Better Me Podcast Farewell
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
EP 181 When Does Winter Start?
Fall is a good busy time, and snow has arrived, but when exactly does winter start?
EP 180 Generational Autism (with guest Julie M. Green)
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
EP 179 Buddies, Books, and Baseball (with guest Jennifer Diehr)
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.
EP 178 Adoption, Culture, and Identity (with guest Dr. Brittany Penner)
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
EP 177 Writing for the LGBTQ+ Community and Having Your Books Banned
Author Ashley Herring Blake joined me to talk about her writing process and what it's like to have her books banned.
EP 176 Welcome to Fall
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.
EP 175 Patience With Yourself
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.
EP 174 Chronic Pain, Identity, and Mental Health (with guest Gabrielle Drolet)
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.
EP 173 The Unexpected
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.
EP 172 Feeling Grief for People and Places (with guest Tessa McWatt)
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.
EP 171 The Bad and The Ugly of GenAI (with guest Terry Greene)
Friend and fellow educator and podcaster Terry Greene joined me to discuss our concerns regarding generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).
EP 170 Changing Perspectives on Bears and Life (with guest Claire Cameron)
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.
EP 169 Self-care as Community (with guest Renee Hess)
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 se
EP 168 Being True to Yourself (with guest Noelle Podar)
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.
EP 167 Trying to Regain Some of What Depression Has Taken
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.
EP 166 5 Years of Better Me
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
EP 165 Caring For Yourself During the Holidays
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.
EP 164 Why is Change So Hard (with guest Najwa Zebian)
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.
EP 163 Choice, Consequences, and Comfort Zones (with guest Oliver Burkeman)
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.
EP 162 What She Said- Conversations About Equality (with guest Elizabeth Renzetti)
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.
EP 161 Every Little Thing She Does is Magic (with guest Michelle Hébert)
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.
EP 160 Telling the Story of Jack Whalen
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.
EP 159 Why Trees Could Save Humanity (with guest Diana Beresford-Kroeger)
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).
EP 158 Privilege and Productivity
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.
EP 157 Kicking Off the Fall 2024 Season
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.
EP 156 Signing Off for The Summer
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
EP 155 What, So What, Now What?
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.
EP 154 Setting an End-Time for Your Workday
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.
EP 153 Give Yourself Time for Ideas
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.
EP 152 Women and Mental Health- The Problems Aren’t All in Our Heads (with guest Misty Pratt)
Writer Misty Pratt joined me to talk about her new book “All in Her Head: How Gender Bias Harms Women’s Mental Health.”
EP 151 Take a Pause
This is a reminder that pausing from the chaos of our days, even just five minutes, can bring a lot of benefits.
EP 150 Domestic Violence - One woman’s story and the need for change (with guest Denise Chong)
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-t
EP 149 How Awareness and Heritage Months Connect to Mental Health
Our mental health can be harmed by how others treat us, which is why Awareness and Heritage Months are important to our mental health.
EP 148 You Have Choices
Sometimes we tell ourselves “I have no choice” because it’s easier than having to consider what can happen if you choose
EP 147 Why Do You Do That?
Sometimes you need to ask yourself the question, “Why do I do that?”
EP 146 Individuals Make a Difference (with guest Sally Armstrong)
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.
EP 145 In Consideration of Future You
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.
EP 144 Distractions
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?
EP 143 What You Consume Matters
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.
EP 142 Self-care is About Doing
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.
EP 141 Clearing the Deck With a Weekly Review (with guest Loleen Berdahl)
Frequent guest Loleen Berdahl joined me to talk about how we each take time on Fridays to prepare for the following week, and beyond.
EP 140 The Brave Habit (with guest Todd Henry)
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/
EP 139 Sunlight, Bravery, and What's Coming Up
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.
EP 138 The Mocking of Trauma and Mental Health
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.
EP 137 Habits and Encouragement
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.
EP 136 The Interview (with guest host Kelly S. Thompson)
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.
EP 135 Wrapping Up 2023
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
EP 134 It's Never Too Late to Tell Our Stories (with Fran Eldridge)
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.
EP 133 Books, Chocolate, and Other Holiday Traditions (with guest Kelly S. Thompson)
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/
EP 132 Writing to Process Tragedy (with guest Stephanie Kain)
Writer Stephanie Kain joined me to talk about her latest book Lifeline: An Elegy in which she uses a variety of writing styles and perspectives to tell the story of caring for a friend intent on taking her own life.
EP 131 The Year of Heather
Birthdays often get people thinking about their lives and the coming year. In this episode, I talk a bit about some recent travels and some thoughts on how I plan to spend my 53rd year around the sun.
EP 130 Finding Some Joy
As days turn grey and the temperature drops for many of us, it's important to look for some joy. In this episode I talk about finding joy for yourself and doing things to bring a bit of joy to others.
EP 129 Caring For Yourself When You're the Caregiver (with guest Kelly S. Thompson)
Author and all around great person Kelly S. Thompson joined me to talk about the importance of caring for yourself when you're a caregiver.
EP 128 Finding Your Sense of Belonging (with guest Ritu Bhasin)
Writer, entrepreneur, and leader Ritu Bhasin joined me to talk about her new book We've Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging, having empathy for yourself and others, listening to your body, and caring for yourself when you're a caregiver.
EP 127 Returning to Musical Roots to Withstand the World (with guest Jesse Daniel Edwards)
Singer/song-writer Jesse Daniel Edwards joined me to talk about his latest album Violensia, our mutual California connection, and how he returned to his musical roots to write about how people have been feeling in these hard times.
EP 126 When Others Try to Define Your Identity (with guest Charlotte Gill)
Author Charlotte Gill joined me to talk about her latest book, Almost Brown: A Mixed Race Family Memoir, how others try to define our identities, and how change in higher education won't come from individual instructors, including elements of equity and inclusion in their syllabi.
EP 125 Bullies and Besties
In this episode for Canadian Thanksgiving, I talk about the bullying I experienced growing up and finally being in a place with friends who love me and respect me for who I am.Kids Help Line (Canada) - 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868Trevor Project (U.S.) - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
EP 124 When the World is Heavy (with guest Loleen Berdahl)
Loleen Berdahl returns to the podcast to explain the Canadian Notwithstanding Clause and talk about how to cope with the very heavy times.
EP 123 Doing the Work of Mental Health for Ourselves and Others (with guest Rowan Jetté Knox)
Author, speaker, and human rights activist Rowan Jetté Knox and I sat down to talk about his new book One Sunny Afternoon: A Memoir of Trauma and Healing. We dove into the struggles we've each had with our mental health, the importance of ending the stigma of mental illness, and why self-care is as important when you're well as when you're deep in the muck.You can find Rowan on Instagram and Twitt
EP 122 Fall 2023 Kick-Off
Welcome to the new season of the Better Me Podcast. In this episode I give a quick summary of the guests coming up and talk about the importance of belonging, a theme that will run through many of the episodes this season. I also take a few minutes to talk about how new education policies are denying a sense of belonging to some of our students.
EP 121 That's a Wrap on Winter-Spring 2023
It's time for me to take a break so this is the last episode until late summer or early spring.
EP 120 Cleansing Your Mental Palette
As we move between meetings and other activities, we should take a few minute to reflect and prepare. Like having a bit of cracker or a sip of water to cleanse our palate between tastings of two different wines, we need to cleanse our mental palate as well.
EP 119 Writing for Your Mental Health (with guests Loleen Berdahl and Kelly S. Thompson)
Loleen Berdahl and Kelly S. Thompson returned to the podcast to talk about the role that writing plays in caring for their mental health. We also talked about how we choose our journals, vintage typewriters, and the community that can come from writing.You can find Loleen at https://loleen.substack.com/ and Kelly at https://kellysthompson.com/
EP 118 Books, Festivals, and Home (with guest Jennifer Diehr)
My good friend Jennifer Diehr returned to the podcast to talk about book festivals, meeting authors, and the reunion we have planned at Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon.
EP 117 Depression is Scary
For people who have depression, just getting out of bed can be a struggle, but on top of that, there are concerns about medication, money, and how others will respond. In this episode, I talk about why depression can be so frightening for those suffering from it.
EP 116 Dogs Make Us Better People (with guest Rona Maynard)
Former long-time editor of Chatelaine Magazine, writer, and mental health advocate, Rona Maynard joined me to talk about her latest book Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World.You can find Rona via her website https://ronamaynard.com/
EP 115 What Do You Need Right Now?
I'm working on being more mindful, which has included asking myself "What do I need right now?" while curled up in the sun with my dog Henry.
EP 114 How Are You? Busy (with guest Loleen Berdhal)
Frequent guest Loleen Berdahl is back to join me in a free-range discussion of what it means to be busy, why it's so often the answer to "How are you?", and how to set better boundaries.
EP 113 Preparing Your Body to Avoid Injury (with guest Miranda Esmonde-White)
Former ballerina, star of the PBS fitness series, Classical Stretch, and author Miranda Esmonde-White joined me to discuss her latest book, The Movement Miracle: The Essentrics Stretch Program to Increase Strength, Improve Mobility and Become Pain Free.
EP 112 - On Repentance and Repair (with guest Danya Ruttenberg)
Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg and I talked about her latest book On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in An Unapologetic World. We discussed how apologies without real change will continue to damage all involved, how the current U.S. justice system's punitive approach does nothing to help victims of wrong-doing, and why we need to be tenacious and hold onto hope to bring about real change in the world
EP 111 Writing to Tell Your Stories and to Help Others Heal (with guest Kelly S. Thompson)
Retired Canadian Forces officer and writer Kelly S. Thompson joined me to talk about her latest book Still, I Cannot Save You, a book about her relationship with her sister who died of cancer in 2018. We also talked about healing through writing and how your writing can help others to heal.You can find Kelly at https://kellysthompson.com/ and on social media as @KellyS_Thompson (Twitter) and @kell
EP 110 Chronic Stress, Burnout, and the Temptation of Dopamine (with guest Chris Bailey)
Best-selling author, speaker, podcaster, and all-around-cool guy Chris Bailey joined me to talk about his latest book How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times. We chatted about burnout and it's counterpart engagement, how dopamine makes promises it can't keep, and what we can do for ourselves and our organizations to reduce chronic stress.You can find Chris, his bo
EP 109 Priorities and Creativity (with guest Loleen Berdahl)
Loleen Berdahl returns to the show for the 5th time to talk about prioritizing the things that matter, including creativity. We also talked a bit about artificial intelligence and about how we both pretend to talk for our pets.
EP 108 Every Family Has a Story (with guest Julia Samuel)
British psychologist and writer Julia Samuel returns to the Better Me Podcast to talk about her latest book, Every Family Has a Story. In this conversation, we dove into how trauma can be passed down through generations and how families can work through it to break the continuing cycle.
EP 107 Welcome to 2023
I'm back with a preview of what's coming up in the new season. It's going to be a good one with some fabulous guests.
EP 106 We’re Talking Baseball … and Education and Podcasts (with guest Stephen Hurley)
I had a great conversation with Stephen Hurley, the founder of VoiceEd Radio, talking about baseball, education and podcasts.
EP 105 Meaningful Things Aren't Meant to Be Automatic
In this episode I talk about why it's good that we do some things automatically, but that more meaningful things aren't meant to be memorized and recited without some thought and feeling.In this episode I referenced my manifesto and land acknowledgements. The links below will provide more information.My Manifesto (blog post) - http://betterme.ca/habits/my-manifesto/Better Me Podcast EP 22 My Manif
EP 104 Being Ready for Your Found Time (with guest Loleen Berdahl)
The ever popular Loleen Berdahl returned to the podcast for the fourth time to talk about the concept of "found time" and how to make the best use of it.
EP 103 Setting and Upholding Boundaries (with guest Melissa Urban)
Best-selling author Melissa Urban joined me to talk about her latest book, The Book of Boundaries. We discussed why boundaries aren't just good for you, but also those around you, upholding boundaries with yourself using a "boundary integrity" model, and how we all should stop setting ourselves on fire to warm other people.
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