Toxic Work Places: No Job Deserves Your Mental Health
Your emotional energy is not in your job description.There! I said it. Did you feel a little jolt of recognition, a sense of relief—or maybe a stab of rage?Hi, I'm Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do. And in this episode of "Different, Not Broken" I'm asking if you’ve ever slogged through unbearable meetings, survived a boss who’d rather watch you squirm than support you, or felt your job siphoning off bits of your sanity day after day… this episode is your permission slip to stop surrendering your mental health on the altar of toxic work culture.If you’ve ever heard “No job is worth your mental health” and nodded vigorously, only to feel that familiar panic rising when rent is due and quitting might mean eviction, you’re in the right place. This episode won’t hand you Instagram-worthy mantras divorced from the realities of bills, healthcare, and responsibility. Instead, I'm calling bullshit on the “just quit” narrative, sharing the reality, along with some actionable insights, and the kinds of boundary-setting wisdom you wish someone told you before your workplace broke you—not because you were broken, but because you were different in a system built for sameness.You’ll find out:Why the burn-it-all-down mentality works for trust-fund babies but not so much for the rest of us.How your emotional labor is being quietly exploited—and how to reclaim it without burning bridges (or burning out).The single most important thing to do before leaving a toxic workplace (hint: it's not just quitting).How to spot the difference between jobs that are simply tough, and jobs that are actively toxic.What actually leads to burnout (spoiler: it’s almost never the actual work).Most importantly, you'll hear a deeply personal story of what happens when you reach your breaking point—and what you wish you knew before walking away. No job deserves your mental health. Listen now. Your sanity—and future self—will thank you.Useful stuffStuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwoMy grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/Timestamped summary00:00 "No Job Over Mental Health"06:11 "Choosing Your Emotional Boundaries"08:49 "Leaving to Save My Sanity"12:49 "Questioning Corporate Processes"15:11 Corporate Misfit to Happy Entrepreneur19:46 Weekend Questions I Hate23:10 "Choosing Between Fun or Rest"25:27 Navigating Choices and ConversationsMentioned in this episode:Build Your Better courseBuild your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better
--------
28:32
--------
28:32
Thanksgiving is made up. You don't owe ANYONE a turkey!
To be honest, I’ve hit my limit with holiday guilt and the weird pressure to act like everything’s cosy and magical just because the calendar says so. Holidays are made up. They only exist if you get paid time off or you genuinely enjoy them… and most people don’t.In this episode, I’m pulling the curtains back on the whole thing. The family expectations. The traditions no one even likes. The so-called “peacekeeping” that’s really just self-abandonment. This one’s a little ranty, a little chaotic, and probably the most comforting thing you’ll hear all season. Let’s talk about ditching guilt, skipping the bullshit, and building holidays that don’t make you want to scream.
--------
8:21
--------
8:21
Different, Not Broken - Vegas Didn’t Kill Me… But It Tried
I survived a healthcare conference in Las Vegas… and honestly, I’m still a little surprised. Hi, I'm Lauren Howard. You can call me L2. Like other people do. And in this episode of "Different, Not Broken" I'm sharing my story of peopling in sin city.Between the cigarette-tinged air, the giant hotel that somehow has no sunlight, the time-zone confusion, and the very real possibility that I could’ve wandered straight into a meetup hosted by people I’m literally in a legal dispute with, this trip shouldn’t have been fun — but weirdly, it was.In this episode, I talk about:• Why Vegas feels like a desert with no actual sun • How I almost RSVP’d myself straight into the lion’s den (yes, that lion) • My team acting like emotional support humans so I didn’t melt into a puddle in the middle of the crowd • The bizarre networking moments where founders, lawyers, and random strangers kept appearing out of nowhere• Why meeting listeners in real life makes me want to slide between the cracks of a sewer grate and disappear forever • And — shockingly — why I’d actually do this whole thing againAlso, Alison brings us another listener question in Small Talk all about productivity. Useful stuffStuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwoMy grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/Timestamped summary00:00 "Time, Smoke, and Healthcare Irony"05:30 "Almost Entering the Lion's Den"07:12 "Introvert at the Party"13:12 "Dateline Rule: No Second Location"13:49 "Conference Reflections: Fun & Validation"17:11 "Overcoming Exhaustion and Enjoyment"20:20 Checklist Productivity vs Mental Effort23:55 Redefining Daily ProductivityMentioned in this episode:Build Your Better courseBuild your better course - https://stan.store/elletwo/p/build-your-better
--------
27:06
--------
27:06
How I became L2 and started hating meetings
I hate meetings. I hate them so much.Which is very awkward for someone who runs multiple businesses and technically needs them to function as an adult.In this episode I am unpacking why meetings make me irrationally angry even when they are useful, profitable, and with people I actually like. Why does my brain treat work like an interruption to my other work? Why do I get mad at my calendar for existing? And why do I wake up thinking I can cram 72 hours of tasks into an 8 hour day and then resent anyone who dares to speak to me?Brains are weird. Bodies are weird. Doors are definitely weird.Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwoMy grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/Timestamped summary00:00 "Losing L2: Rediscovering Identity"05:35 Taking Back Power with elletwo.com09:16 Reflecting on Productive Conversations12:36 Doors, Narration, and Love16:02 "Hyper Awareness of Doors"16:53 "Awkward Doors and Thresholds"
--------
18:19
--------
18:19
Car shopping in Florida is a scam — I have receipts!
Buying a car in Florida shouldn’t feel like psychological warfare, but apparently it does. I’m just trying to replace my family car without losing my mind — or my sense of humour — in the process. Between fake add-ons, hidden dealer fees, and salespeople who can’t stop lying, car shopping in Florida has become a full-time trust exercise. In this episode, I share what it’s really like for someone who barely leaves the house enough to justify owning shoes, to navigate car buying in Florida while trying to stay honest, barefoot, and only mildly unhinged.Stuff that helps you become awesome even if you're different: https://stan.store/elletwoMy grown up job: https://lbeehealth.com/Timestamped summary00:00 "Car Shopping Misery"05:40 "Frustrations with Car Salesmen"06:59 Car Dealership Troubles11:09 "Shoes, Cars, & Parenting"15:31 "Pinstriping Package Scam"16:24 Therapy, Cars, and Existential Questions19:45 "Patient Isn't Always the Sick"25:25 Evaluating Therapy's Effectiveness26:11 "Therapy Communication and Trust"Thanks for listening, guys.LuvyameanitMentioned in this episode:Wanna learn to write like me?Here's how you can!Writing Course
You’ve spent your whole life feeling like something’s wrong with you. Here’s a radical thought: what if you’re not broken - just different?
Welcome to Different, Not Broken, the no-filter, emotionally intelligent, occasionally sweary podcast that challenges the idea that we all have to fit inside neat little boxes to be acceptable. Hosted by L2 (aka Lauren Howard), founder of LBee Health, this show dives into the real, raw and ridiculous sides of being neurodivergent, introverted, chronically underestimated - and still completely worthy.
Expect deeply honest conversations about identity, autism, ADHD, gender, work, grief, anxiety and everything in between.
There’ll be tears, dead dad jokes, side quests, and a whole lot of swearing.
Whether you're neurodivergent, neurotypical, or just human and tired of pretending to be someone you’re not, this space is for you.
Come for the chaos.
Stay for the catharsis.
Linger for the dead Dad jokes.
Canada - english