Heal Your Career Wounds
Arrives May 19, 2026
In 2023, I started a TikTok series called “Career Wounds.”
I talked about toxic bosses, micromanagers, and the weird feeling you get when you’ve left a job but don’t really recover. I talked about how to stand up for yourself and when it’s time to leave. I talked about how to stop ruminating, and how to catch yourself in a perfectionism cycle.
The more I posted, the more comments I got. “Oh my god, say less,” or “I didn’t have the name for it — but yes, career wounds, that’s what happened to me.” After hundreds of videos, I was inspired to write the book (you can watch the original TikTok playlist here).
I thought back to my darkest moments. The times when I was the most stressed out. And strangely, they were all at work. Which was crazy, because wasn’t it supposed to be “just a job?” How did I let the corporate machine pierce my own sense of sanity? How did I get so obsessed with work? Was there something wrong with me?! I wanted to write the book that I didn’t have: part self-help, part practical manual on how to disentangle myself out of work stress. How to stop spiraling and start building a healthier relationship with work.
Here are some photos of the 18-month long writing, editing, and shaping process. This has been a labor of love, and I am excited/terrified to share it with the world.
In this book, we believe:
Your job doesn’t have to define you.
1
You have an identity and sense of worth outside of your job. Chasing achievements like going to fancy schools, working in big tech, making a lot of money — is great for your ego, but don’t always bring happiness. If you’ve done all of those things and still feel disenchanted or unmotivated, it’s time to look inward.
You can’t break a pattern until you understand it and purposely change your behavior.
2
We keep repeating the same patterns over and over, until we catch ourselves. Once you see a pattern though, it’s hard to unsee it, and it provides a freedom to make different choices. If you go from the same kind of toxic job to another, you’re looking for love in all the wrong places.
You can take your power back, in big and small ways.
3
Don’t respond to emails late at night. Don’t volunteer for assignments that you don’t have to. Don’t take on additional work just to get a pat on the head. Start saying no. Start waiting before you respond. Don’t respond to every single Slack or Teams message.
Creativity is the cure.
4
Creativity is the key to your next step. Having an active imagination and a sense of “it’s possible” is what will set you free. Get back to your creative roots. Write more, journal more, exercise more, create more. Do things that aren’t tied to outcomes, but just for the joy of it.
Change is possible. Reinvention and pivots are encouraged.
5
You’re not the same person as you were before. You are wiser. You see more and know more. And the fact that you’ve withstood all this stress and tension means you’re stronger (even though it doesn’t feel like that).
What to expect.
The book structure mirrors the hero’s journey that you will go on, as you consciously work to know yourself better, shed the outdated parts of yourself, go out into the wild and reconnect with your most creative self, and intentionally architect a new chapter or even whole ass life for yourself.
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Welcome
Symptoms of career wounds
Identifying your patterns
Perfectionism
Burnout
Imposter syndrome
Apathy
Comparing yourself to others
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The sources of our wounds
Reclaiming your voice
Reclaiming your peace
Be honest with yourself
What do I do next?
The dark night of the soul
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Integration
Permission to start
Shadow energy
Your medicine
Your creativity
Rebuilding
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Momentum and movement
Make more art
Rat city
Protect your time
Clean endings
Common myths
Practical advice: the 7 day reset
A final thought on dreams
Pre-Order the Book Now
(arrives Tuesday, May 19, 2026)
But Mandy, why pre-order?
As a first-time author, I’m not a “known quantity” to booksellers. But if they start to see pre-order numbers, it sends a positive early signal that this could be something to pay attention to. They will be more likely to stock the book in physical stores and provide more marketing to help promote the book. If you’ve ever watched a video of mine that’s been helpful, and you’d like to support me as an author — pre-order will make such a huge difference! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Join the Pre-Order Club.
Have you pre-ordered the book? Well good news! For the first 100 pre-order sign ups, my publisher has offered to send out ADVANCE COPIES (via PDF) so you can be the first to get your hands on it well before the May 19 drop.
PLUS I’LL MAIL YOU CUTE STICKERS!!!! Just fill out the form and I’ll be in touch. :)