Your Brain Might Be Yelling GO But Your Body Says Nope
Permission to set boundaries before you crash
I’m giving myself permission to stop working.
Which, if you know me, is not something I do easily. Especially when I’m in the middle of writing a story and my brain’s buzzing with ideas. I want to finish it. Now. Right now. Like a toddler with a new Lego set who refuses to eat until the spaceship is done.
But here’s the thing: my body? It’s tired. It’s been dropping hints all week: sore shoulders, fuzzy focus, that low-grade hum of fatigue I usually try to bulldoze through.
And if I ignore it now, I know I’ll pay for it later. Maybe with pain, maybe with brain fog, maybe with a full stop where I can’t function at all.
There’s no emergency here. No one’s waiting on this story. The deadline? Made it up. Just me trying to outrun my own impatience again.
So I’m pausing. Not quitting, just resting. Not because I don’t care about the work, but because I care about myself. And the work is better when I do.
If you’ve got a teen or young adult with ADHD or autism, this might sound familiar. Maybe you’ve seen your kid push themselves until they crash; maybe you’ve done the same. Or maybe they freeze instead; so overwhelmed by what they think they should be doing that they can’t even start.
Either way, the skill we’re both practicing here is recognizing our limits without labeling ourselves lazy or broken. That’s huge.
It’s okay to stop. It’s okay to rest. You can still come back to the thing you care about. And you’ll probably do it better after a break.
This isn’t about productivity. It’s about self-trust and self-compassion. And if you can show your kid what it looks like to slow down without shame, you’re modeling something powerful: pacing, presence, and self-respect.
That’s gold for a neurodivergent brain trying to learn how to manage energy, not just time.
Quick Tools You Can Use Right Now
Try these with your teen:
1. The “Permission Slip” Script
“Hey, it looks like you’re pushing hard. Do you need a break? You’re allowed to pause and come back when you’re more ready.” This may not occur to them, for real.
2. Name the Deadline Game
“Is this a real deadline or a self-imposed one? If it’s just you putting pressure on yourself, what would it look like to shift that today?” Gets them introspecting, something they do not do.
3. Model It Out Loud
“I wanted to finish something, but I’m wiped. So I’m hitting pause. I’ll come back to it when my brain and body are back on the same team.” Don’t tell, SHOW.