As an executive, I took a 3-day PTO to be a housewife. I tackled my dusty to-do list and was more present at home.

The author (not pictured) used her stay-at-home PTO to tackle household to-do list items. Annette Riedl/picture alliance via Getty Images Leaning outIt was day two of my stay-at-home PTO. This is the time off that isn't for traveling or relaxing, but — as I told my group chat — to be a housewife.And over three days, I was productive: I decluttered a closet, replaced a broken appliance, and even enjoyed a Pilates class at 11 a.m. Not only did I accomplish goals that had gotten dusty on my to-do list, but I also noticed other positive benefits. I listened more to my children and felt more present.As an executive, I immediately wanted to repeat this: three days at the start of every quarter to simply be a housewife.It's just one solution for what so many millennial women and mothers are trying to figure out as they climb the corporate ladder. While some are experimenting with balance, like me, others are simply leaning out altogether.Business Insider's Julia Pugachevsky spoke to women in corporate America who, instead of continuing to aspire to the highest rungs of their organizations, became skeptical that they'd have the flexibility needed to do it all. So, they're leaning out.It's what Trisha Daab, who had spent 20 years in corporate leadership roles, did. She took a year off. "I had no idea how tired I was until I stopped working," she said.During that time, Daab volunteered at a food bank, tap danced, traveled, and spent more time with her children. She eventually decided she couldn't go back to the status quo. "Stepping away helped me realize my priorities had shifted," the 47-year-old said.Former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, who coined the term "Lean In" to encourage women to pursue corporate leadership even when family obligations felt like another hurdle, told Business Insider that she understands why women are leaning out."This is not the women who are saying, 'I don't want to do it,'" Sandberg, 57, said. "It's the women saying, 'I don't want to do it because I'm not wanted, I'm not getting the same opportunities and the same support, and I face an unfair burden at home.'" Sandberg said it's a shame because women leaders often advocate for policies that benefit women, such as egg freezing, lactation rooms, and competitive parental leave options."I just hope that enough women want those senior leadership roles," she added, "that we get the environment for women that they deserve." Joi-Marie McKenzie is the editor in chief of the Life team at Business Insider, overseeing entertainment, real estate, lifestyle, health, parenting, and our Style & Success coverage.Previously, she worked for nearly a decade in network news at NBC and ABC, along with Good Morning America, where she earned an Emmy Award. McKenzie was also a senior entertainment editor at Essence magazine and deputy editor of entertainment at Insider, now known as Business Insider.While serving as deputy editor of entertainment at Insider, McKenzie earned several journalism awards and recognition. She was also nominated for the editor executive of the year in 2022 by the Drum Awards.The fifth-generation writer and editor has moderated conversations for The Paley Center for Media, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and Barnes and Noble in New York City.McKenzie has written two books, both released by Hachette. Her first was a critically-acclaimed memoir titled "The Engagement Game," and she also wrote "The Pursuit of Porsha," the memoir of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Porsha Williams.McKenzie also sits on the board of Color Vision, an organization that helps, educates, and informs women of color in creative fields. She's also a board member of The Afro American Newspaper, which serves the Baltimore-Washington area and was founded by her great-great-grandfather, John H. Murphy Sr., a formerly enslaved Civil War veteran. Newsletters Newsletter