The Burnout Psychologist

12/22/2025

I’m honored to join this mission-driven organization to support the education and careers of single moms in SW Washington.

If this is a mission that also calls to you and you want to get involved - whether that’s volunteering time or services, or providing a tax deductible donation - please reach out! Every little bit of support helps us make the lives of single moms in our area a little less stressful and a little more abundant.

Meet Dr. Jessica Lueck: business psychologist, burnout whisperer, and our newest board member! 💜
Dr. Jess builds healthy companies and careers for a living, which means she's basically a professional at spotting red flags before they become dumpster fires. (A skill we very much appreciate.)
She's joining Woman of Wonder because she's passionate about providing single mothers opportunities to upskill through education and career guidance. Dr. Jess believes career transitions can address generational disenfranchisement caused by lack of access, opportunity, and gender barriers—and she's here to help dismantle those barriers one scholarship at a time.
Fun facts about Dr. Jess:
🐱 She's happily married with three cats who apparently moonlight as burnout consultants on her social media (we're not saying the cats are licensed therapists, but we're not NOT saying that either)
👪 She's an aunt of many (which means she's mastered the art of being the cool one)
🎨 She loves glass art. Actually, all art. If it's creative and beautiful, she's here for it.
We're thrilled to have Dr. Jess on the board bringing her expertise, her passion for women's education, and—let's be honest—probably some solid advice from those three cats.
Welcome to the team, Dr. Jess! 🎉💜

12/01/2025

“I’m scared to hire…”

Recently, I’ve been hearing from business leaders and owners that they’re sweating their next hire feeling:
-unsure about delegating 🫤
-lacking confidence to make a decision 🤔
-confused by the market 🤨
-scared they’ll hire wrong 😑

They’re fully aware of the impact hiring will have on their growing team and business. 📈

They know the risk and the reward. 🏅

So, in a pool of applicants they second guess until they’ve lost clarity. 🌫️

Small businesses and entrepreneurs with limited resources especially feel the pressure to hire right because the alternative is costly on all fronts. 💸

What we know through our work is that there are ways to make this next big step easier by using a consistent process and assessment tools to provide less bias data and limit hiring angst. 😅

We focus on alignment of values and motivation because these things really matter when you’re trying to catalyze growth. ✅☑️

If you’re a small business leader trying to narrow down candidates or make the best hire for you by the end of the year, we can help, just message! 📥

11/25/2025

Here’s a sneak peak into part of my morning routine with Magic 😻

Every morning when I’m getting ready he comes into the bathroom for a drink of water directly from the sink. It’s one of his favorite things to do.🚰

For those who aren’t cat folks, it’s hard to get indoor kitties to consume enough water. They prefer it running so we have a pet fountain too. But this is fresher and it makes him feel special, I’m sure!

People are a lot like this, too.
I’m a firm believer that we drink more water when we are attracted to the vessel drinking out of and that the water is our preferred temp and taste. Otherwise it falls into the list of adult “have to’s” for so many. 🥱

My trick is ice water in colorful handmade glass vessels by and yes, Magic loves to drink from those too!

So, many of our body functions rely on adequate hydration and on a week like Thanksgiving we are putting everything into overdrive with sweets, hearty foods, and probably a few other things that aren’t great for us. 🤷‍♀️

Something nice you can do for yourself as Magic reminds us, is to stay hydrated this week! 💦

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate. As a mixed kitty household we understand the complexity of this holiday and hold space for gratitude and grief and everything in between. 💕

11/21/2025

The cats are telling me to take a break from writing ✍️

Anyone else participating in “Novel November”? For those who don’t know, it’s a challenge to write a 50,000 word draft of anything, over the month of November. 😮‍💨

I’ve been focused and working on writing my next book, a non-dissertation business book on career and company health, that more than 12 people might make it through! (I don’t blame anyone academic writing is dry for me too!) 🥹

It would have helped if I started the challenge before half way though the month. But I didn’t know it was a thing - so I’m seeing how far I can get in that timeframe.

I have crossed the 15,000 word mark! 💪

After the many hours of sitting diligently by my side as I sat and typed in my trusty study chair to get to this point, the cats have now taken to stealing my spot! 😼

Namely KitKat our cow cat. He says I’m not delivering enough pets to receive enough purrs to benefit me.

He told me to “Purrrractice the advice in your book.” And then he settled in for a nap successfully evicting me (because who has the heart to disrupt an adorably sleeping cat?!)

Such a smart guy. 😻

11/19/2025

When you show up for a networking coffee and you’re the only one. 🤷‍♀️

Rush back home and get back to the TDL? 📚

Nah. 😮‍💨

Enjoy your coffee, the brightness of the morning sunshine on a cold day, the solitude. ☕️ ☀️

Moments like this these days are rare. 🍂

How are you finding a moment of peace today?

Take one on purpose.

10/18/2025

Mornings lately have a tighter routine 🫰

It’s cold 🥶 and we want to eat our breakfast, take a quick patrol of our catio, and get back inside where it’s cozy. 🔥

The time of year is here to change our rhythms, just as nature (and the cats) do. 🍂

While the cats are adjusting nicely to their versions of lowery energy and indoor activities, I’m nurturing my mind in the chair by the fire with courses and reading the latest research on burnout. 🤓

My husband is writing more and playing Elden Ring for the 2nd or 3rd time in his downtime. 🤓🤓

What habits shift for you as fall sets in and winter comes along? 🤔

09/30/2025

There’s a pep in our step as we catch a sun break between the fall rain showers and haze that has set in over the last week. 🌧️ ☀️

The cats are missing their backyard gardening time. 😞

Casey’s longing for his catnip plant is at an all time high. He usually darts across the lawn to the pot, eats it, and rubs his face all over it. The lying in it is a new and adorable feature. 😹

So, what can we take from this besides a giggle at the cute kitty?

The seasons are changing and it’s time for our habits that keep us healthy to shift as well. 🍃 🍂

How do you get the vitamin D and vital nutrients you need in the winter? 🍄‍🟫🥦🥝
How do you stay active when the outdoors are less of an option? 🧘‍♀️
What inside hobbies need to rotate in to help you keep your joy? 🧶

09/23/2025

How much of your true self do you share at work? 🎭

How much do you think is appropriate or healthy to share? 💕

Do you share with everyone, everything, or are you selective? 🤘

This idea of masking (not the COVID kind) and/or code-switching at work is a topic that has come up recently as people are feeling the stress of the fall routine and pressures to perform kick in. 🍂 🥵

Check out my latest blog for a few of my thoughts on the topic and how I explore and resolve this with coaching clients.

As always, if I can help you or someone you know navigate their career with more confidence and gas in their tank, please dm me.

www.jessicalueck.com/blog/masking-in-the-workplace-and-not-the-covid-kind

07/27/2025

Boy what a Caturday KitKat had napping in our outdoor Big Blanket. He was looking adorable in this coveted spot every time I looked for him, all day long. 😻

It was sort of surprising because all the cats love this new blankie and take rotations on it, typically forcing each other to move. KitKat was making a major claim on prime real estate in a prominent spot in our home, for a prolonged period of time. It could have been a CATastrophe!🙀

But what also happened is that he seemed to set the mood for the day: Chill. Relaxed. Lowkey. 😸

Aside from a short reprieve to lounge in his favorite place: the catio, he was committed to his spot and his vibe. 🥰

Flash forward to today, it’s Sunday and it already feels different. Casey is on the prowl investigating our garden and making sure I’m watering his catnip enough.
I tried to tell him the catnip would grow more if he left it alone but he can’t resist a snack or getting in its container to show it who’s boss. 😹

Casey’s now ready for treat time and to get on with the days tasks which are likely the productive, yet mundane parts of adulthood that cats seem to enjoy “helping” with. Prediction: laundry folding will result in at least one of the cats napping my clean clothes. 🤣 🤦‍♀️

The truth is, this is the first lowkey weekend we’ve had in a while, where I was even home enough to watch the cats over the course of a day. It’s been a great reminder…

Having a balanced weekend and schedule so there is time to recuperate is necessary and especially something I need to be reminded of in the summer when we are trying to get in as much fun as possible!!

So, what does a balanced weekend look like to you? 🍃

How do you make sure you keep that balance over the course of a busy month or season? ☀️

07/24/2025

Today’s self care reminder brought to you by Cat Yoga! 💗💪😻 This yoga mat is like catnip to these two faithful workout companions. 🥰🧘‍♀️ What do you think of their poses?

06/10/2025

This one’s for the early careerists and grads who are approaching the job market for the first, second, third, or even fourth time but might be struggling to get it right - either landing a job at all or finding jobs that don’t end up working out. 🎓 💔

Within this blog are several critical things I help clients searching for work to do:
- clarify their search
- limit their future burnout potential in a new role
- provide more personal alignment with their job
All through their job search strategy.

Learn the pitfalls of the job market and how to avoid them to land a role that fits you here: https://lnkd.in/gJKVdN8Q

Know a grad or early careerist who could use some help with their job search? Send them this blog!

As always, reach out if I can help. I’d love to kick-start some careers this summer. 🌻

04/15/2025

New blogs up! This one is based on a repeat question from clients: What is going on with the job market? 🥵

Despite how the numbers look, many skilled professionals are spending longer on the market than might be expected to land a quality job. Check out my blog addressing some of this confusion and where to really focus your efforts to stay sane and fresh for the job hunt. 😅

https://www.jessicalueck.com/blog/hello-2025-job-market-how-to-hang-with-it