Hi there, @tmorrow. I want to ensure you'll be able to use your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) for Mac without any issues. 

Thanks for sharing the steps you've made as well as the result. 

To start, let's first ensure that your program is updated to the latest release to have the recent components and fixes. 

Once done, close and re-open QuickBooks and check if you still encounter the same thing. If yes, I highly suggest reaching out to our Customer Care team to further investigate what causing your program to run slow. They can also provide additional steps to help resolve the issue. Here's how:

1. Head to the support page by clicking this Contact us link.
2. Next, select QuickBooks for Mac and click Continue.
3. Enter a brief description of your concern (for example QuickBooks Mac Plus 2022 Pausing Too Often; Painfully slow) and select Continue.
4. From there, choose a way you want to connect with our support.

Let me know updates on how this goes. I'd appreciate any details you can provide. If you have any other questions about managing your QuickBooks account, please don't hesitate to post again here. I'm always ready to lend a hand. Have a great day ahead.