Five Surefire Signs You're Mentally Done With Work – Even If You Haven't Admitted It Yet

Markets rallied for a second straight day as Greenland tariff drama faded – small caps extended historic winning streak

The quick scan: US stocks climbed Thursday as relief continued washing through markets following President Trump's Wednesday retreat from European tariff threats over Greenland. All three major indices posted solid gains, extending Wednesday's sharp rebound and clawing back most of Tuesday's brutal losses. The "TACO trade" – Trump Always Chickens Out – returned to market vocabulary as investors bet the pattern would repeat itself.

S&P 500: +0.55% to 6,913.35 – the benchmark added another 38 points on top of Wednesday's 1.16% surge, though still remains slightly negative for 2026
Dow Jones: +0.63% to 49,384.01 – industrial stocks climbed 307 points, fully recovering from Monday's holiday levels and erasing most of the week's earlier losses
NASDAQ: +0.91% to 23,436.02 – tech stocks led the advance as investors shifted focus from geopolitical drama to Intel earnings and Big Tech quarterly results ahead

What's driving it: Trump's announcement of a "framework" for a Greenland deal and abandonment of planned tariffs against eight NATO allies sparked the relief rally that extended into Thursday. Denmark's prime minister stressed Greenland's sovereignty remains non-negotiable, but markets chose to celebrate de-escalation rather than worry about remaining tensions. Small caps stole the show – the Russell 2000 outperformed large caps for the 13th consecutive session, matching the longest streak since June 2008. Gold touched fresh record highs above $4,900 as the precious metals rally continued. Intel earnings after the bell and upcoming Big Tech reports from Meta, Microsoft, and Tesla kept traders optimistic about corporate fundamentals despite policy noise.

Bottom line: This is what the "TACO trade" looks like in action – extreme threats followed by rapid retreat, massive volatility followed by equally sharp recovery. For L-Plate Retirees, this week served as a masterclass in why emotional discipline matters. The investors who panicked Tuesday and sold into fear missed Thursday's rebound. Those who stayed calm and perhaps even deployed some dry powder are positioned for whatever comes next.

Are You Already Retired Without Knowing It? The Five Signals You've Checked Out

The scoop: Retirement doesn't always arrive with a grand announcement and a cake in the conference room. For many professionals in their 50s and 60s, it creeps up quietly – a gradual shift in priorities, a growing detachment from work milestones, a persistent nagging feeling that there's somewhere else you'd rather be.

About 52% of retirees in a 2025 survey told the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies they left work earlier than planned. Not because they were forced out. But because somewhere along the way, without quite realizing it, they'd already mentally retired.

The gap between when the mind checks out and when the body follows can stretch for months or even years. Recognizing the signs that you're mentally done might be the permission slip needed to actually make the leap.

When work makes you numb instead of engaged

Overall workplace engagement sits at just 31% according to recent Gallup data. But older workers tend to buck this trend – nearly 67% of employees 65 and over report finding their work enjoyable or fulfilling, according to Pew Research.

So if you're in this age group and feeling increasingly detached, it's worth paying attention. This isn't about temporary burnout that a vacation might fix. It's deeper disengagement, the kind that suggests you've outgrown the role.

The projects that once energized don't anymore. The problems that once felt challenging now feel tedious. The politics that used to seem important feel exhausting and pointless.

When work stops providing intellectual stimulation or emotional satisfaction, and instead just fills time between weekends, that numbness is worth examining. It might not be depression or career fatigue. It might simply be that this chapter has run its natural course.

Promotions and raises have lost their appeal

Early in a career, every promotion feels like validation. Every salary increase represents progress. These milestones matter deeply when building a foundation.

But somewhere in your 50s or 60s, particularly if you've been diligent about saving, that calculus shifts. When the nest egg is worth multiple millions, a 5% raise barely registers. The additional $10,000 or $20,000 annually won't materially change retirement plans.

Similarly, a new job title might sound like more responsibility and stress rather than opportunity. Another rung on a ladder you're no longer interested in climbing.

When stepping up has lost its appeal entirely – when taking on more rather than less feels like a burden to avoid – that shift signals something important. Ambition doesn't disappear overnight. When it does fade, it's often because other priorities have quietly moved to the front.

Constantly checking the retirement account balance

During peak earning years, most people build their 401(k) without obsessive monitoring. Automated contributions flow steadily. Checking balances monthly or quarterly feels sufficient.

But if suddenly there's a compulsion to check account balances weekly or even daily, that heightened attention reveals a mental shift from accumulation mode to deployment mode. The nest egg is no longer just an abstract future concern – it might soon become the primary income source.

This increased vigilance often coincides with running mental calculations: "If the portfolio is at $2.1 million now, and I need $75,000 annually using the 4% rule... that's achievable."

When retirement account balances occupy more mental real estate than work projects, the subconscious is sending clear signals about where priorities truly lie.

Physical signs of aging become harder to ignore

Warren Buffett, who previously claimed he'd never retire, finally decided to step down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman in 2025. The 95-year-old billionaire explained simply: his body wasn't cooperating anymore.

"I didn't really start getting old, for some strange reason, until I was about 90," he told the Wall Street Journal. "But when you start getting old... it's irreversible."

Most people don't have Buffett's longevity, but the principle applies. When the commute feels more draining. When recovering from travel takes longer. When sitting through full-day meetings leaves joints stiff and energy depleted.

These aren't failures. They're natural signals that the body is ready for a different pace. The question becomes: do you want to spend remaining high-energy years in conference rooms, or pursuing experiences that work has delayed?

More time thinking about family, hobbies, and volunteering

Close to 59% of retirees report spending more time with family and friends after leaving work. About 39% pursue new hobbies during their newly available hours.

If thoughts increasingly drift toward grandchildren during meetings. If weekends spent pursuing hobbies feel more fulfilling than Monday morning accomplishments. If volunteer work provides deeper satisfaction than professional achievements.

These aren't distractions from work. They're indicators that priorities have genuinely shifted. The life waiting outside the office has become more compelling than the one inside it.

There's a tendency to dismiss these thoughts as idle daydreaming – things to pursue "someday" after retirement. But if "someday" occupies more mental space than current professional responsibilities, maybe someday is trying to become today.

The cost of waiting versus the cost of leaving

The conventional wisdom suggests maximizing earning years. This math is sound. But it assumes the cost of staying is purely financial.

What about the cost measured in missed moments with aging parents? Or grandchildren who won't be toddlers forever? Or health that won't remain robust indefinitely? Or simply the opportunity cost of spending finite high-energy years doing something that no longer provides meaning?

For the 52% who retire earlier than originally planned, that realization often arrives not as a financial spreadsheet conclusion but as an emotional clarity: the trade-off has stopped making sense.

Making peace with the decision

If these five signs resonate, the question shifts from "Am I ready to retire?" to "Why am I still pretending I'm not already mentally there?"

The answer might be fear. Fear that identity is too wrapped up in work titles. Fear of what comes next. Fear of admitting that this chapter has closed.

But there's another way to frame it: not giving up, but choosing differently. Not failing to reach some imaginary finish line, but recognizing the finish line has moved.

Work has served its purpose – income, structure, challenge, social connection, identity. But purposes shift. What worked at 35 might not serve at 60. Acknowledging that isn't defeat – it's wisdom.

The alternative is spending months or years going through motions while resenting every minute, counting down to some future date when permission finally arrives to live differently.

Or the permission could come from within, right now, based on honest acknowledgment of what's already true.

Actionable takeaways for L-Plate Retirees:

• Conduct an honest emotional inventory about work engagement: Set aside an hour and write down truthful answers to: Do work challenges still feel engaging or just draining? Do professional accomplishments provide genuine satisfaction or just relief? If money weren't a factor, would this be how time gets spent? The answers might reveal uncomfortable truths worth facing.

• Calculate the actual financial impact of retiring now versus later: Run the numbers precisely rather than relying on vague assumptions. Use the 4% rule or consult a financial planner to determine whether current savings support desired lifestyle. Sometimes the answer is "yes, right now" rather than "yes, in three years."

• Track where thoughts drift during idle moments: For one week, notice what occupies mental space during commutes, before sleep, or during boring meetings. If it's consistently family, hobbies, travel plans, or volunteer opportunities rather than work projects, that pattern reveals where genuine interests lie.

• Have the conversation with a spouse or close friend: Say out loud: "I think I might be done with work." Notice the emotional response. Relief? Anxiety? Excitement? The reaction often reveals truths that internal debate obscures. The other person's perspective might identify signals that have been dismissed or rationalized away.

• Set a decision deadline to prevent indefinite drift: Choose a specific date – perhaps three months out – to make a formal decision about retirement timing. Use that window to gather information, run financial scenarios, and clarify feelings. Without a deadline, the decision can be postponed indefinitely while dissatisfaction compounds.

• Consider a trial retirement sabbatical if possible: If the employer allows unpaid leave or if finances permit a few months without income, test retirement before making it permanent. The experience of extended time away from work often clarifies whether the detachment is temporary burnout or permanent shift in priorities.

Your Turn:
If all financial concerns were somehow magically resolved tomorrow, would the decision to retire become instantly clear – and if so, what does that reveal about what's actually holding things back?
Looking at the past six months, what percentage of satisfaction and meaning came from work accomplishments versus personal life experiences – and is that ratio acceptable for the remaining high-energy years?
What would need to be true to give permission to retire earlier than originally planned, and are those conditions as far away as they seem?

👉 Hit reply and share your thoughts – your answers could inspire fellow readers in future issues.

If these retirement readiness signals resonated and perhaps clarified some thoughts that have been quietly building, consider supporting L-Plate Retiree on Ko-fi. Contributions help keep these honest conversations coming – the kind that acknowledge what many feel but hesitate to voice about career endings and new beginnings. Every coffee matters.