Working Girl's Guide #33: declining birth rates, my favorite day-to-night blazer, and a weekend in Healdsburg

We’re talking a potential end to daylight savings, psychedelic therapies, and declining birth rates across much of Asia.

Let’s get into it.

The people want to put daylight savings time to bed

Around 60% of Americans think we should put the caput on daylight savings time. DST was initially implemented for reasons that might now be completely outdated: in the old days, people spent more money when there was evening sunshine — but today, we mostly spend online (guilty!!). Also, daylight savings time was supposed to protect your energy bill, but again, that’s not really relevant based on the ways energy consumption has changed. As for the future of changing your clocks? Only time will tell (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Across the border, psychedelic therapies gain traction

A nitrogenous compound from the bark of a rainforest shrub is helping veterans find relief from PTSD. New research shows that blast waves, which are loud enough to cause brain damage, are a leading case of brain injury in soldiers. In Tijuana, Mexico, a clinic is treating veterans for depression, addiction, anger, and headaches caused by these blast waves and other combat trauma; a study found that PTSD and depression symptoms dropped “abruptly” for almost 90% of those who received treatment

In Tokyo, the weekend gets another day

Japan’s population has been declining for 16 years, and the government is hoping that longer weekends will make managing family and work more feasible for women, so they’re giving government workers in Tokyo a floating day off during the week. Last year, Japan’s birth rate was 1.2 babies per woman (a rate of 2.1 is generally considered the baseline for population stability); neither tax breaks nor a government-created dating app have helped keep the population from declining.

Such a special weekend in Healdsburg with the gals! We crushed brunch, created a mega-viral TikTok, and of course, drank lots of wine. You might think we were gone for a month based on all our baggage, but it was actually literally a single overnight.

It’s been way too long since I’ve pedaled my #1 favorite article of clothing, which is (and will always be) a blazer. I love this one because it’s a little fresher and younger than your typical collared blazer — but still very professional! My tip for your Christmas list: ASK YOUR FAM/FRIENDS/PARTNERS for work clothes! A simple black blazer will always be a hit, and with light wash jeans, it can play double duty for casual workplaces or even going out with friends.

Asking your boss for time off during the holidays is one of those tasks that feels way harder than it needs to be. Like, why am I stressed about not working?

Make it easy on yourself and follow these three steps. And then save the email as a template in Gmail so you can reuse it for your next vacation.

Tip #1: Keep it crisp 

Your email should be a tight two sentences. Example:

"Hi [Boss], I wanted to give you a heads-up that I’d like to take [dates] off for the holidays. My coverage plan is attached, and I’m happy to meet to chat it through. Let me know if this works!" 

Translation: You’re a team player who’s already thought this through. No messy back-and-forth, just vibes.

Tip #2: Backup plan, but not for you 

If your boss is the type to ask 20 questions, keep a draft response ready with the specifics (“XYZ will handle this, ABC is prepped for that”). Trust me, this makes you look like the most responsible human alive while secretly you’re watching holiday rom-coms in the background.

Tip #3: Leave it in their hands 

This is the hardest part for us overthinkers, but once you hit send, it’s not your problem anymore.

Congratulations, you’ve just asked for time off like a pro while still channeling maximum lazy girl energy. Now go start planning your vacation outfits. Or just, like, nap.

If you have a holiday party on the docket, you best not miss this episode. We talk holiday party disasters, from innocent coworker hook-ups to physical altercations to full-fledged infidelity. Ross also shares his experience attending office parties with his overzealous sales teams, and I get into my best tips for succeeding at the art of being the fun plus one (my main skill).

Stay tuned for a terrifying ghost story from Ross’s childhood, a PSA about spiking the office party punch bowl, and a quarter-life crisis after serving donuts to the interns. Listen here.

Thanks for reading!