6 Books That Changed My Life and Healed My Burnout
A curated book list for recovering overachievers and disillusioned techies.
2025 was the year I rediscovered my love for reading. In an age where short-form content constantly competes for our attention, finishing a book can feel like a rare luxury. But there is a reason books remain the gold standard for deep transformation. On my quest to recover from burnout and prevent it from happening again, I turned to the wisdom hidden within hundreds of pages of distilled writing.
If you’re looking for books to help you reflect on your identity, reconnect with your passions, or question the systems we live in, here are the six titles that provided me with solace and clarity during my year of reset. I hope they do the same for you, wherever you are in your burnout journey.
1. Books For Rebuilding Creativity & Passion
If you feel stuck in your career, these “workbooks” are essential for reframing your narrative and reclaiming your agency. I like them specifically because they have structured exercises that help us reflect and get to clarity.
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Best for: Repressed creatives who are ready to find their spark again.
It isn’t an exaggeration to say this book healed me during my medical leave and changed my perspective about what being an artist means. While the tone can be a bit spiritual or cliché at times, the core practices - Morning Pages and Artist Dates - are truly transformative. As someone who always struggled to justify my creative passions, this book gave me permission to embrace my identity as an artist and writer. I still practice these rituals today.
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Best for: Anyone seeking a structured, design-thinking approach to their career.
I first encountered this book in business school, as the authors were professors at the Stanford Design Lab. While The Artist’s Way explores spiritual creativity, this book approaches life as a design exercise, offering an empowering framework to build your career. The exercises helped me pinpoint my work style and strengths - insights that continue to inform my career decisions today.
2. Books For Healing What We Carry
Burnout is a traumatic experience rooted in decades of internal narratives and belief systems. To heal, I had to venture down the rabbit hole of generational and emotional patterns that led me there. These books fundamentally reshaped my recovery journey.
What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
Best for: A must-read for anyone interested in mental health and trauma healing.
This was the best book I read in 2025. Stephanie Foo’s raw, honest memoir about complex PTSD is a masterclass in humility and hope. It specifically highlights how generational trauma and Asian American cultural expectations contribute to burnout, and her own journey to healing and acceptance. Fair warning: The opening chapters are heavy, and you’ll likely find yourself in tears by the end - but it is absolutely worth the ride.
The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
Best for: Finding answers to lasting happiness in a world full of suffering.
I first read this during a low period years ago and picked it up again this year to remind myself of the path toward joy. This is a beautiful conversation between two spiritual giants from different faiths who overcame immense suffering while maintaining a positive outlook. You don’t need to be religious to appreciate this; it’s a wisdom-filled and research-backed guide on how to cultivate joy in the face of hardship.
3. Books For Questioning the System
The deeper I dug into the roots of our exhaustion as a generation, the more I realized burnout is a byproduct of dysfunctional systems - capitalism, corporate greed, and power dynamics. These books validated my burnout experience in tech and exposed the machines that break us.
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Best for: An unfiltered look at the irresponsible decisions made by the Silicon Valley elite and how that toxic culture trickles down into employee exhaustion.
This is the book Meta reportedly tried to silence. It offers a scathing behind-the-scenes account of how Facebook’s leadership fueled global political unrest and systematic burnout. As someone who once read Lean In, learning about the reality of Sheryl Sandberg’s leadership style is a cruel reminder of the corporate barriers women still face. Despite valid critiques of the author’s lack of self-accountability in the book, it remains an enlightening exposé on the dysfunctional politics of Silicon Valley.
Abolish Silicon Valley by Wendy Liu
Best for: Disillusioned tech workers looking for a more equitable future.
This recommendation from a friend resonated deeply because of the parallels in our career ambitions. Wendy Liu, an ex-Googler and startup founder, shares her journey from a tech elitist to a writer disillusioned by the systems she once idealized. Beyond her relatable story, she provides a framework for what true innovation without oppressive systems could look like. I recently chatted with Wendy about our shared experiences in tech and passion for books, and she is as brilliant as her writing! You can check out her work here.
This year, I’m excited to dive more into books that cover neurodivergence research, more honest and well-written memoirs about trauma healing, and pieces that connect the common human experience. If you have any book recs, please let me know! And I’d also love to know your thoughts if you’ve read any of the books above 💛
❤️😘👍👏👏👏😻