Better Me

Here are some of the things that are making me happy right now. How about you? 1000 Awesome Things (website I mentioned in this episode)

Professor, clinical psychologist, and co-founder of Teach Me Self Care ( http://www.teachmeselfcare.com ) Jorden Cummings joined me to talk about not only the importance of self-care, but also finding real self care that works for each individual person.

Having the right words is vital to good communication. Having the right words to describe our emotions is necessary for our well-being

Terry Greene, the host of the Gettin’ Air podcast and the Senior eLearning Designer at Trent University, joined me to talk about our mutual love of podcasting and two new projects where students acted as co-designers to create materials to help other students succeed in higher education. Gettin’Air Podcast - https://voiced.ca/project/gettin-air/ Liberated Learners Project - https://ecampusontario....

Professor and writer Loleen Berdahl was back on the podcast to talk about dumping SMART goals for EASY goals, why we need to act before we feel motivated and why it’s not selfish to just take time to think. You can read her blog / newsletter at https://loleen.substack.com/

My good friend Jennifer Diehr joined me again to talk about books, this time focusing on book banning, the importance of learning about history, and Judy Blume. Plus, we talk about how the Green Room for the Better Me Podcast is seriously lacking. You can follow Jennifer on Instagram at @jendiehr

My daughter Sydney joined me on the show for the third time, this time to talk about going from being a tween to a teen, starting high school in a few months, book banning, and baseball. This was a fun and interesting conversation.

It’s episode 75! To celebrate I spoke with the founder of the Zero Waste Collective, Tara McKenna about her new book Don’t Be Trashy: A Practical Guide to Living with Less Waste and More Joy. This was a great conversation about buying less, decluttering, and why recycling isn’t the answer to our trash problem. I always publicly commit to making February a “no buy” month for me. The Zero Waste Coll...

Michael Harris joined me to talk about his new book All We Want: Building the Life We Cannot Buy. We chatted about how social media platforms and advertisers make use of our dopamine, why the GDP isn’t a good way to measure how well a nation is doing, and how supporting others through hard times can give you better perspective on life.

In this first episode of 2022, I talk about taking mulligans in golf, habits, and life in general.

In this final episode of 2021 I tell a funny story and offer some advice.

Canadian comedian Shawn Hitchins joined me to talk about his latest book the Light Streamed Beneath It: A Memoir of Grief and Celebration. We chatted about loss, the importance of community, and how scary it can be to start therapy, but how great it can be when you find a good therapist. Find out more at https://shawnhitchins.com

The incredibly talented spoken word poet Sabrina Benaim joined me to talk about metal health, relationships, and her new book of poetry I Love You, Call Me Back. Her website is https://www.sabrinabenaim.net/home where you can find information about her, her books, social media profiles, and more.

I had a great time talking with gynaecologist / singer-songwriter Dr. Kristina Dervatis about her recently released album Overdue, telling stories through music, and the increased demand for birth control during the pandemic. Website - https://kristinadervaitis.com Music YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2iffk4BLlZ0nyYl2YiiOtQ/featured Her Medical YouTube Channel (complete with a...

Award winning Canadian author, Donna Morrissey joined me to talk about her new memoir Pluck: A Memoir of a Newfoundland Childhood and the Raucous, Terrible, Amazing Journey to Becoming a Novelist. We had a great conversation about family, the importance of laughter, and how pharmaceuticals have helped both of us through our mental health struggles. Award winning Canadian author, Donna Morrissey jo...

For this episode I took just a few minutes to talk about some thoughts on integrity and being true to yourself.

Writer Kirsteen MacLeod joined me for a conversation about her new book In Praise of Retreat: Finding Sanctuary in The Modern World. We chatted about definition and key features of a retreat and how breathing connects us and shows how alike we all are.

Canadian singer / song writer and singing teacher Emm Gryner joined me to talk about her new book The Healing Power of Singing: Raise Your Voice, Change Your Life - What Touring with David Bowie, Single Parenting and Ditching the Music Business Taught Me in 25 Easy Steps. This was a fun and inspiring conversation about what she learned from working on the first music video made in space, teaching...

Lebanese Canadian activist, author, speaker, and educator Najwa Zebian joined me to talk about her new book Welcome Home: A Guide to Building a Home for Your Soul and how you can find your home within yourself, instead of seeking it out in others.

Loleen Berdahl, the author of the popular Academia Made Easier blog/newsletter, which provides easy tips for teaching, productivity, and work-life balance in academia, joined me to talk about how she gets things done without compromising her health. We also talked about how that can be more challenging for women than for men. Find her newsletter at https://loleen.substack.com and on Twitter at htt...

When we think of the “gig economy” we often picture Uber drivers, but it also exists among positions that require advanced degrees and experience. In the first episode of season 3 of the Better Me Podcast, Dr. Christina Katopodis joined me to discuss the challenges such workers in education face (including physical and mental health challenges) and what changes need to be made for the benefit of i...

Self-care, whatever that looks like for you, is key to both good mental health and productivity. This is the fourth and final episode of this series, as well as the last episode of the season.

It’s all well-and-good knowing what you need to get done, but how do you make sure you have the time to do it. In the third episode in this series, I talk about how I use block time to get stuff done.

In part two of this series on productivity and mental health, I talk about the importance of saying ‘no’ (when you can) to things to that align with your priorities.

When I'm dealing with depression or anxiety, my memory suffers and I can be horribly disorganized. Over the years I've developed ways to help prevent important tasks from falling through the cracks. This episode is the first in a series on the connection between me being productive and my mental health.