Do you ever arrive at mid-afternoon and feel like your brain has turned to jello? Your gray matter is sucking air and running on fumes? You feel this inner urge to slow down… but suffer guilt because of the pile of work on your desk?

Laura and I recently concluded a busy stretch over the past 8 weeks that included trips to Minneapolis (twice), Iowa, and Montana, interspersed with several large events here in Michigan. And yesterday, at about 3:00 in the afternoon, I was gasping for mental oxygen… but facing a long to-do list.  Laura has seen this movie before… and with her encouragement… I shut it down for the day. (All workaholics reading this are covering their ears shouting “la-la-la-la”). 20 years ago I would have simply pushed through and gutted out another 3-4 hours. 20 years ago, gutting it out every day was a behavior propelled me toward clinical depression.

Are there days when pushing through brain cramps is required? Of course. But if that is your daily default… you’re setting yourself up for trouble.

Is there a legitimate time to stop? I’ve heard well-meaning leaders say “There’s no time to stop until the work is done.” News flash… the work will never be done. So that means we can never stop? I reject that workaholic and unsound line of thinking.

When do we know it’s time to stop? No clear line exists… but several clues can help us determine when to put it in park.

When people who love you say “STOP!”

I kept a crazy pace during college… and one of my brothers periodically would tell me… “John, you need to stop and smell the roses.” In other words, quit running a hundred miles an hour every day and learn to enjoy some moments. We aren’t always aware when we’ve reached our limit. Those who know us the best are often aware. Listen to them and punch out for the day.

When you become irritable

Irritability has often been linked to immaturity. A lack of character development. And while that linkage is accurate at times… at other times irritability is simply a signal we’ve reached our capacity. Maybe your anger is a signal you’re overscheduled and overcommitted. That it’s time to stop… take a breath… and regroup.

When the creative juices dry up

I’m a morning person. (Don’t judge me you who spell morning “mourning”). I have considerable mental energy from 7:00 AM until about 2:00 PM. When 3:00 PM arrives… the jello-fication process starts… and I’ve discovered shifting to work that requires less mental energy (answering email, returning phone calls, etc.) is a good strategy. I reengage with the more mentally demanding tasks the next morning… and I find myself knocking them out more quickly and with more quality than if I would have pushed through the afternoon before.

In our pedal-to-the-metal world… we’ve lost the concept of stopping points… the idea of a healthy rhythm between work and rest. And because we don’t know when to stop… or feel guilty when we do… we give way to the inaccurate idea that activity always equals productivity… that busyness proves value… and that stopping before we collapse in exhaustion is a waste of time.

Take time to smell the roses… and watch your health prosper… and your productivity soar.