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Doing It All: Stop Over-Functioning and Become the Mom and Person You're Meant to Be
Discover how to stop doing it all and start doing what matters with this step-by-step guide to beating burnout and thriving as a working mom .
In Doing It All , Dr. Whitney Casares, author, pediatrician, and mother of two, shares the step-by-step plan she developed as a modern working mom to help her stop over-functioning at work and home, stop blaming herself for everything that went wrong, and start living a balanced and intentional life. Today’s working moms are burned-out, overwhelmed, and just plain stuck. Caught amid the endless, conflicting demands of motherhood, work, household management, and a million-and-one everyday tasks, chores, and responsibilities, they truly are doing it all—but getting nowhere. They think they're out of options—but they're wrong.
Dr. Whitney tried to do it all for years, until one particularly bad week brought her to knees, and then, to a It wasn't her that was broken, it was her system. She needed a new system, a plan of action that would look squarely at all the common problems of working mom life—over-scheduling, inequitable partnerships, lack of boundaries, lack of support—, recognize the social and cultural causes behind them, and give her the tools and structure she needed to tackle the chaos, find her work-life balance, and start living a life that worked for her. In Doing It All , she shares that system with you, a system that will help you prioritize what really matters and where everything—even laundry—has its place. Work calls? Yep. Time with your kids? Absolutely. Time for yourself? A top priority.
Doing It All features Dr. Whitney's complete step-by-step plan to achieving your Centered Life — that is, a life centered on you — , as well as over forty targeted exercises, prompts, and activities to help
Featuring powerful personal stories from real working moms, as well as quotes and interview excerpts from parenting experts, medical professionals, and mental health advocates, Doing It All meets working moms where they are, recognizes the personal and systemic challenges they face, and offers solutions that really work. It’s time to stop merely “surviving” motherhood. Join Dr. Whitney and thousands of other working moms across the country and discover the tools, systems, and support you need to parent, work, and thrive in your daily life.
In Doing It All , Dr. Whitney Casares, author, pediatrician, and mother of two, shares the step-by-step plan she developed as a modern working mom to help her stop over-functioning at work and home, stop blaming herself for everything that went wrong, and start living a balanced and intentional life. Today’s working moms are burned-out, overwhelmed, and just plain stuck. Caught amid the endless, conflicting demands of motherhood, work, household management, and a million-and-one everyday tasks, chores, and responsibilities, they truly are doing it all—but getting nowhere. They think they're out of options—but they're wrong.
Dr. Whitney tried to do it all for years, until one particularly bad week brought her to knees, and then, to a It wasn't her that was broken, it was her system. She needed a new system, a plan of action that would look squarely at all the common problems of working mom life—over-scheduling, inequitable partnerships, lack of boundaries, lack of support—, recognize the social and cultural causes behind them, and give her the tools and structure she needed to tackle the chaos, find her work-life balance, and start living a life that worked for her. In Doing It All , she shares that system with you, a system that will help you prioritize what really matters and where everything—even laundry—has its place. Work calls? Yep. Time with your kids? Absolutely. Time for yourself? A top priority.
Doing It All features Dr. Whitney's complete step-by-step plan to achieving your Centered Life — that is, a life centered on you — , as well as over forty targeted exercises, prompts, and activities to help
Featuring powerful personal stories from real working moms, as well as quotes and interview excerpts from parenting experts, medical professionals, and mental health advocates, Doing It All meets working moms where they are, recognizes the personal and systemic challenges they face, and offers solutions that really work. It’s time to stop merely “surviving” motherhood. Join Dr. Whitney and thousands of other working moms across the country and discover the tools, systems, and support you need to parent, work, and thrive in your daily life.
224 pages, Paperback
Published February 13, 2024
44 people are currently reading
3057 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 6, 2024
Accidentally requested this ALC and though it is marketed to moms, the messages and tips are largely applicable to all. The author, a pediatrician, is compassionate and empathetic while providing many resources for those seeking self-care strategies in a busy life.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up.
This self-help guide and workbook is designed for working mothers who are struggling to balance all of their different obligations without burning out. Whitney Casares encourages women to go back to the drawing board of their lives, determining what is truly necessary for them to do and what brings them joy. She encourages women to consider their unique life situations, along with their gifts and talents, so that they can design workable solutions for themselves instead of just believing self-help platitudes and trying to "manifest" a different life.
This book covers a lot of different life management topics related to goal-setting, living in alignment with your priorities, having healthy boundaries, pursuing equitable household management, cutting down on physical and mental clutter, making well-thought-out financial decisions, and so on. A lot of the advice here applies to everybody, and even though Casares dials into specific applications for working mothers, I would also recommend this to stay-at-home moms, as long as they feel confident in their choices and won't feel inadequate when parts of the book don't apply to them.
Casares illustrates different points with personal stories from her own parenting journey, along with anecdotes from families she sees in her pediatric practice. These stories illustrate different cultural, familial, financial, and self-imposed barriers that moms face when they're trying to create balanced lives. The author occasionally inserts preachy political rants, but she mostly focuses on what people can do to help themselves now, regardless of the long-term societal changes she wants to see.
I appreciate Casares's vulnerability about her own struggles as a working mom, but I felt uncomfortable with some of the stories that she shared, since they involved personal and/or embarrassing details about her young daughters. In an age of oversharing, I doubt that she thought anything of it, but I felt that parts of this book violated her children's privacy. It particularly bothers me that in the opening chapter, she lists out all of her special needs child's psychiatric diagnoses. It's not anyone's business!
I'm not saying that her daughter's needs are shameful, but they are personal, and her daughter should have some control over her own story. Even though parents need to be able to talk honestly with close friends about their child's struggles, there is a huge difference between opening up with trusted friends versus broadcasting your child's long list of diagnoses to the general public.
However, despite my various critiques and some disagreements with the author, I thought this was a good book overall, especially since she designed it for women to be able to personalize her advice for their own lives. On that note, because this book includes checklists and workbook sections, I would definitely recommend that people pursue a hard copy of this, rather than listening to the audio version.
This has substantial, significant workbook pages, and these aren't just reflection prompts. This book provides detailed resources for setting goals, describing boundaries, and making other plans directly on its pages, and regardless whether someone wants to write in the book or not, visually seeing these sections are key to processing how the author's advice applies to your life.
I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.
This self-help guide and workbook is designed for working mothers who are struggling to balance all of their different obligations without burning out. Whitney Casares encourages women to go back to the drawing board of their lives, determining what is truly necessary for them to do and what brings them joy. She encourages women to consider their unique life situations, along with their gifts and talents, so that they can design workable solutions for themselves instead of just believing self-help platitudes and trying to "manifest" a different life.
This book covers a lot of different life management topics related to goal-setting, living in alignment with your priorities, having healthy boundaries, pursuing equitable household management, cutting down on physical and mental clutter, making well-thought-out financial decisions, and so on. A lot of the advice here applies to everybody, and even though Casares dials into specific applications for working mothers, I would also recommend this to stay-at-home moms, as long as they feel confident in their choices and won't feel inadequate when parts of the book don't apply to them.
Casares illustrates different points with personal stories from her own parenting journey, along with anecdotes from families she sees in her pediatric practice. These stories illustrate different cultural, familial, financial, and self-imposed barriers that moms face when they're trying to create balanced lives. The author occasionally inserts preachy political rants, but she mostly focuses on what people can do to help themselves now, regardless of the long-term societal changes she wants to see.
I appreciate Casares's vulnerability about her own struggles as a working mom, but I felt uncomfortable with some of the stories that she shared, since they involved personal and/or embarrassing details about her young daughters. In an age of oversharing, I doubt that she thought anything of it, but I felt that parts of this book violated her children's privacy. It particularly bothers me that in the opening chapter, she lists out all of her special needs child's psychiatric diagnoses. It's not anyone's business!
I'm not saying that her daughter's needs are shameful, but they are personal, and her daughter should have some control over her own story. Even though parents need to be able to talk honestly with close friends about their child's struggles, there is a huge difference between opening up with trusted friends versus broadcasting your child's long list of diagnoses to the general public.
However, despite my various critiques and some disagreements with the author, I thought this was a good book overall, especially since she designed it for women to be able to personalize her advice for their own lives. On that note, because this book includes checklists and workbook sections, I would definitely recommend that people pursue a hard copy of this, rather than listening to the audio version.
This has substantial, significant workbook pages, and these aren't just reflection prompts. This book provides detailed resources for setting goals, describing boundaries, and making other plans directly on its pages, and regardless whether someone wants to write in the book or not, visually seeing these sections are key to processing how the author's advice applies to your life.
I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.
January 21, 2024
If I could give this book ten stars, I would. I’m a business owner and a single mom, so I’m constantly feeling the push and pull of being a working mom. Dr. Whitney shares such great tips and incredible stories from women that make motherhood feel much less isolating, and I learned so much in a way that makes sense— it feels like you’re talking to a friend who gives really fantastic advice. I’ve already started implementing components of the book while building out my centered life blueprint, and the first things I wanted to address were boundaries, my schedule, and finding time for self-care. This book has changed my life, and I can’t wait to keep doing the activities.
August 31, 2024
I wanted to like this book, but when the author’s own solution is to buy a bigger home to allow her nanny to live with her, it’s still highlighting the disparity in resources among lower and middle income families. I think we know by now that it would be great to outsource tasks - but with what financial resources?
I did appreciate the inclusion of CBT and SMART goal worksheets. It still places the burden on moms to “figure it out”, though, which is yet another task to add to our never ending to-do lists.
I did appreciate the inclusion of CBT and SMART goal worksheets. It still places the burden on moms to “figure it out”, though, which is yet another task to add to our never ending to-do lists.
March 17, 2024
In Doing It All, Dr. Whitney Casares, author, pediatrician, and mother of two, shares the step-by-step plan she developed as a modern working mom to help her stop over-functioning at work and home, stop blaming herself for everything that went wrong, and start living a balanced and intentional life.
Yes my start-of-the-year TBR was full of self-help and productivity books, including this one. Just like exercises, I think it’s always important to retrain our minds to keep adapting to whatever best practices available out there that are most suitable to our lives at the particular moment.
The key takeaway of this book is to identify and get clarity of everything in our lives into one of these categories: non-negotiables, swappables, contaminators and the heart strings. I personally like how simple these are to remember, and I’m definitely already actively working towards proactively managing my non-negotiables, outsourcing my swappables, removing my contaminators and protecting my heart strings.
I found the concept of protecting our heart strings to be the highlight of the book. A lot of productivity tips and tricks out there miss out on the emotional aspects of our lives. I love the idea of being clear and assertive about our mental health boundaries.
I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting affirmations on their key productivity practices, more productivity ideas, and tips and tricks to protect their heart strings.
(Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
Yes my start-of-the-year TBR was full of self-help and productivity books, including this one. Just like exercises, I think it’s always important to retrain our minds to keep adapting to whatever best practices available out there that are most suitable to our lives at the particular moment.
The key takeaway of this book is to identify and get clarity of everything in our lives into one of these categories: non-negotiables, swappables, contaminators and the heart strings. I personally like how simple these are to remember, and I’m definitely already actively working towards proactively managing my non-negotiables, outsourcing my swappables, removing my contaminators and protecting my heart strings.
I found the concept of protecting our heart strings to be the highlight of the book. A lot of productivity tips and tricks out there miss out on the emotional aspects of our lives. I love the idea of being clear and assertive about our mental health boundaries.
I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting affirmations on their key productivity practices, more productivity ideas, and tips and tricks to protect their heart strings.
(Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)
See my bookstagram review.
February 15, 2024
Doing it All is a MUST read for all moms who are working and momming and battling with the balance and heft of the mental load. Additionally, the author addresses things such as individual child needs surrounding disabilities and developmental challenges. This book was exactly what I needed. I already bought a copy for myself to keep coming back to, and bought another for my sister.
The topics covered in this book are practical and the application of self-analysis is simplified with an easy to understand way of creating a plan for change.
This book, for me, was so timely and important, because I felt understood. That understanding went past “I can relate” and finally gave me the tools I’ve been searching for - the tools to create change and improve our family life.
I listened to the audiobook which was easy to follow along with, and comes with a PDF that includes all the things you’d want on paper. The narrator did a fantastic job. I listened at 2x speed with 1.75x speed being my normal.
Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced audio copy.
The topics covered in this book are practical and the application of self-analysis is simplified with an easy to understand way of creating a plan for change.
This book, for me, was so timely and important, because I felt understood. That understanding went past “I can relate” and finally gave me the tools I’ve been searching for - the tools to create change and improve our family life.
I listened to the audiobook which was easy to follow along with, and comes with a PDF that includes all the things you’d want on paper. The narrator did a fantastic job. I listened at 2x speed with 1.75x speed being my normal.
Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced audio copy.
March 13, 2024
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, mainly because I typically stay far away from non-fiction and/or self-help books. This book was organized very well into different sections, with real life examples and stories. It also provided simple ways to integrate changes into our daily lives to maximize our efforts towards a balanced life and each chapter was wrapped up again with key points as reminders to summarize the past chapter. The audiobook flowed well and was easy to listen to, without too much technical jargon. I will probably buy a paperback copy later to make notes and keep logs of my goals and to document my successes.
January 28, 2024
"Doing It All" by Whitney Casares does a good job of capturing what it's like to be a busy mom juggling many balls in the air, and provides some worthwhile tips on how to better manage the chaos. I most appreciated Dr. Whitney's tips on figuring out what isn't really essential, and either handing off those responsibilities to someone else or recognizing that you don't have to give full effort to them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book!
March 3, 2024
Not quite the right book for my stage of life, but some helpful stuff nonetheless. There are also some places where I struggled to relate to the author's worldview and opinions. It is well-written, though, and her passion to help other moms is clear. I read straight through, but will go back and do some of the exercises.
May 21, 2024
This book is a helpful guide for moms who need to let themselves off the hook for not being perfect. There are helpful guides, worksheets, and examples to work through all the lies we tell ourselves about how things should be done.
Focused on setting core values, the message of the book is embracing doing the best we can for ourselves, our work, and our children.
Focused on setting core values, the message of the book is embracing doing the best we can for ourselves, our work, and our children.
January 25, 2024
Whew as women don’t we feel like we have to do it all? This book is amazing with useable advice and relatable stories from women who have been where we are now.
Read
June 19, 2024Listened to the audiobook version. Nothing mind-blowing but a nice reminder to prioritise and some reasonable tips for working mums. It really takes a village.
May 27, 2024
This book would have made a nice little lead magnet--a downloadable eBook that hits your inbox automatically when you join some celebrity doctor's online community or purchase her online course. I cannot imagine that it is actually a book that is for sale.
For one thing, it needed a thorough editing run-through. The author herself was truly attempting to "do it all" in penning a workbook-style, yet also conversational case study-style, yet also social commentary-style book with advice on how you do laundry, how you parent, how you balance work with your partner, how you draw boundaries, and about forty other things. The result is a disorganized mess that just barely scratches the surface of any of these things.
Details, too, were too often missed. As much as I appreciate specificity as a way to add color to writing, I can guarantee you that you are not winging over the US on a 5-hour work trip in a 747.
My main complaint, though, is that the author seems to think that by simply declaring that issues exist, she is helping you to solve them. For example, from p. 70, "Once you decide you're done chasing productivity, the next step is to practice resting. Rest is the most productive way to be more productive." Wow, thanks for the specificity. I think I'll just decide I'm done chasing productivity now! The "advice" doled out is all pretty empty and brings nothing new to the table.
One bright spot: it's a relief to hear from a fellow mom to a neurodiverse child. Most of what I read about parenting or work-life balance assumes neurotypical children (and parents) in the household (which is not the case here in my house), so I appreciate this perspective shift.
Thank you Fair Winds Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
For one thing, it needed a thorough editing run-through. The author herself was truly attempting to "do it all" in penning a workbook-style, yet also conversational case study-style, yet also social commentary-style book with advice on how you do laundry, how you parent, how you balance work with your partner, how you draw boundaries, and about forty other things. The result is a disorganized mess that just barely scratches the surface of any of these things.
Details, too, were too often missed. As much as I appreciate specificity as a way to add color to writing, I can guarantee you that you are not winging over the US on a 5-hour work trip in a 747.
My main complaint, though, is that the author seems to think that by simply declaring that issues exist, she is helping you to solve them. For example, from p. 70, "Once you decide you're done chasing productivity, the next step is to practice resting. Rest is the most productive way to be more productive." Wow, thanks for the specificity. I think I'll just decide I'm done chasing productivity now! The "advice" doled out is all pretty empty and brings nothing new to the table.
One bright spot: it's a relief to hear from a fellow mom to a neurodiverse child. Most of what I read about parenting or work-life balance assumes neurotypical children (and parents) in the household (which is not the case here in my house), so I appreciate this perspective shift.
Thank you Fair Winds Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 11, 2024
This is a strong 4-4.5 stars. I think this book is DEFINITELY meant to be read in print and I had an audio ARC so I wasn't able to work through it in the way that I wanted to, but I still gained a lot from it. This book is a non fiction meant to help people juggling too many dang balls and getting wrapped up in our hustle culture. The book is marketed to be a self help book for working moms, but I honestly think the majority of this book could apply to anyone. The book is VERY practical and I loved that about it. The beginning of the book has you assessing your values so you can guide your life. One of the things I loved about this book is that it didn't just have free space to journal about ideas-- it was very guided. It would say something like what qualities are most important to you? Pick 5 out of this list. A lot of times I feel like I can spiral when books are too open ended, but this one did a great job of guiding you to solutions. I loved the discussion of boundaries and protecting your values, time, energy, etc. There was so much that I loved about this book- I will definitely be buying a physical copy and working through it as soon as it releases. There are a few sections that didn't apply to me, but overall this was great!
February 5, 2024
Doing It All is everything a self-help book should be! Half book and half workbook, it provides a multitude of actionable steps to help working women, particularly moms, find a work life balance and make the priority the priority. I loved how she turned "doing it all" on it's head and focused on the fact that doing it all isn't possible. However, we can do what we decide is most important if we analyze our values and align our priorities with them.
February 9, 2024
It can be hard to be a mom, and work at the same time. Trying to find that balance between home and work takes some doing - but its possible.
This books walks through finding that center, and being able to break away from the workaholic lifestyle into a well-rounded lifestyle.
Good read! Felt called out a few times while reading it, which was needed.
This books walks through finding that center, and being able to break away from the workaholic lifestyle into a well-rounded lifestyle.
Good read! Felt called out a few times while reading it, which was needed.
January 30, 2024
This book is what I’ve been looking for. Full of activities to complete (or not)! I mostly loved how relatable it was—and how simple (but somehow things I had never thought of before?!?!) the strategies were. Loved it.
April 21, 2025
practical and helpful
This is a book targeted towards working moms. However, author provides several practical tips those are useful for everyone. Her advise of not aiming for perfection, self care and giving grace to yourself will resonate with anyone.
This is a book targeted towards working moms. However, author provides several practical tips those are useful for everyone. Her advise of not aiming for perfection, self care and giving grace to yourself will resonate with anyone.
September 10, 2024
Fantastic read for moms. As a pediatrician and parenting author I found it invaluable!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews