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