The SelfWork Podcast 468 SelfWork: Stop Going Down The High-Functioning Rabbit Hole with Dr. Whitney Casares
Oct 17, 2025
Dr. Whitney Caceres, a pediatrician and author behind Modern Mommy Doc, shares her wisdom on prioritizing values over relentless over-functioning. She delves into the stress mothers face, offering practical strategies to escape the high-functioning burnout cycle. The conversation touches on redefining success, reclaiming parental intuition from social media, and setting healthy boundaries. Whitney encourages embracing imperfect parenting and the empowerment that comes from focusing on what truly matters—your values and priorities.
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When Ambition Meets Parenting Reality
- Dr. Whitney Caceres recounts overworking to get into top programs and then struggling after her daughter's sleep and developmental needs emerged.
- That personal shift pushed her to reevaluate success and focus on living by values rather than relentless achievement.
Use Values As Your Success Metric
- Identify your core values and check weekly whether your actions matched them instead of chasing arbitrary goals.
- Use values (connection, wellness, contribution) as the criteria to judge daily success rather than task counts.
Parents Lose Their Gut To Information Overload
- Modern parents often lose their intuition and seek absolute answers from apps or experts instead of trusting context.
- Slowing down to observe patterns helps parents regain their 'gut' and make practical choices for their child.
