If your energy crashes every afternoon, you’re not lazy and you’re not failing. What doesn’t help is being told this slump is just part of modern life—or something you have to push through with caffeine or sugar.

If you’re over 40 and weight loss feels harder than it used to, you’re not imagining it. What doesn’t help is being told to try harder, eat less, or push through exhaustion like you did in your 20s.