Feeling unusually tired this July? You're not alone

Every week, PhilSTAR L!fe explores issues and topics from the perspectives of different age groups, encouraging healthy but meaningful conversations on why they matter. This is Generations.

A few days after July rolled in, I found myself listing down everything I’ve accomplished in 2026 along with the goals I have yet to achieve and the habits I have yet to build. This time, however, I didn’t feel hopeful and inspired. I just felt… tired.

As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one. Somewhere between many rounds of drinks last weekend, my friends told me they’ve been feeling the same. One admitted to waking up still exhausted every morning even after long hours of sleep, while another opened up that even replying to messages feels like another task. Just this afternoon, one of my high school friends messaged our group chat, asking if we're free to join her on a spontaneous trip because she's been "feeling off."

Apparently, there might be a reason for that: the mid-year slump. "It’s a temporary decline in mood, motivation, energy, and productivity that often appears around the middle of the year," psychologist Lordy Santos told PhilSTAR L!fe. "It's not a mental disorder, but rather a psychological state."

Why do some of us feel tired in July?

At the start of every year, we usually make vision boards, sign up for health memberships, and make plans for how to be better. We start the year claiming it as our own. But then, life gets demanding with deadlines, bills, responsibilities, and setbacks. Before we realize it, we’re no longer fueled by fresh starts—we’re simply trying to keep up.

According to psychologist Ross Manalo, that’s exactly why July can feel especially overwhelming: It becomes a checkpoint.

“Some expect to have accomplished their goals, or at least to have made significant progress by now. They expect a big breakthrough,” she explained. “In reality, we lose sight of the bigger picture and progress feels invisible.”

Manalo noted that this feeling isn’t merely “laziness.”

“When people perceive that they have made insufficient progress, they may experience disappointment, frustration, self-criticism, or decreased motivation. It’s a loop of exhaustion: We get more exhausted because we feel we haven’t done enough to move our progress forward,” she told L!fe.

That’s painfully familiar to some Gen Zs. We are constantly surrounded by visible progress: Every scroll on Instagram seems to announce someone else's promotion, new business, passport stamp, marathon medal, or dream home. Some are getting married and starting their own families before 30. Even when we know social media only shows the highlights, it’s hard not to wonder if everyone else is moving faster than we are.

Santos, however, said that for some, July fatigue is simply the result of accumulated stress and pressure. “Even if you genuinely enjoy your work, months of continuous responsibilities without adequate recovery slowly drain your emotional and mental reserves,” he added.

How to get past the July fatigue

According to Santos, the first step to getting past the mid-year slump is to acknowledge that you’re tired instead of criticizing yourself for it. “Fatigue often serves as a signal that your mind and body need restoration rather than additional pressure.”

He stressed the importance of treating rest as non-negotiable, noting that it isn’t just about sleeping more. This also means giving yourself physical, mental, emotional, social, creative, and even spiritual rest—whether that’s taking breaks from work, spending time with people who recharge you, or allowing yourself to say no.

Manalo echoed this as she recommended practicing what she calls “micro self-care.”

“As a psychologist, I always ask my clients to do things that make them happy, even when they’re struggling. Self-care doesn’t have to be expensive. We can practice micro self-care—eating a cup of ice cream, watching one episode of a favorite show, or reading one chapter of a book—as a reward for getting through the day,” she said.

Both experts encouraged reframing how we see July. Instead of treating it as proof that we’re behind, see it as an intentional pause. "Ask yourself: What have I already accomplished? What have I learned? What remains realistic and meaningful for the rest of the year?" Santos suggested. "This shift in perspective often restores motivation more effectively than self-criticism."

What if you’re feeling pressured to compete with others as if life is a race? “Practice the ‘art of dedma’ and refocus on your own goals,” Manalo advised. “Comparison is a thief of joy, and if you can detox from unhealthy environments, your motivation becomes cleaner and clearer.”

Maybe that’s the quiet reminder July brings: for us not to sprint harder toward December, not to be too quick to call ourselves “lazy” or “behind,” not to measure our lives against timelines that were never ours to begin with, but to pause long enough to realize that being on a slump right now isn’t a sign of failure.

Progress isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it's getting out of bed when everything feels heavy. Sometimes, it's admitting we're tired. Sometimes, it's simply surviving a difficult season.

Not every chapter of our lives is meant for motion and breakthroughs, after all. Some are meant for rest, recovery, and simply catching our breath. There's no shame in acknowledging that before the rest of 2026 asks even more of us.