# @valeriechapman on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DMlX7VTqEJT
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/61113177-valeriechapman-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/749cca4d9e.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-07-26T20:13:43.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** VALERIE CHAPMAN (@valeriechapman) — https://gondola.cc/valeriechapman

## Caption

Asking for “days off” was my least favorite part of corporate life.

Even in the best work environments, there’s this unspoken rule:

You can rest…but not too often.

Not too close to someone else.

Not if you want to be seen as ambitious.

This is my first summer working for myself. 

Sure, I’m working on a Saturday, on a ferry in Sicily, no less. ⛴️🇮🇹

But I’ll take working 24/7 for me over 9–5 for someone else…and having to beg for my time back.

The more I’ve reflected (and researched) the more I’ve realized how broken our relationship with rest is. 

In the U.S., we treat rest like a luxury.

But it’s not.

Time off is recognized by the UN as a basic human right.

And yet…

🍼 The U.S. offers 0 weeks of paid parental leave, the only wealthy nation to do so (UNICEF & ILO, 2023)

💼 Women take 30% less PTO than men, fearing they’ll be seen as less committed (LeanIn.org, 2022)

🔥 46% of working women say they’re burned out, yet still use their PTO to care for others, not themselves (Deloitte, 2023)

🌙 And the entire 9-5 system? It was built for men with stay at home wives, modeled after factory economics, and based on the 24 hour male hormonal cycle, not the 28 day rhythm that governs most women’s bodies. (Dr. Sara Gottfried, MD)

I left corporate to build something that feels aligned (with my values, my energy, and my vision).

💬 What does real freedom look like for you right now? I’d love to hear it.

💌 Follow me valeriechapman for the latest in AI, personal branding, and the future of work. 

#DaysOff #FutureOfWork #Sicily #Vacation #GenZWomanInBusiness

## Stats

- **Views:** 2,144
- **Likes:** 0
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 6

## Tags

genzwomaninbusiness, sicily, vacation, daysoff, futureofwork

---
Copyright (c) Gondola