How to Have a Bad Day Step 4: Follow Your Heart

Angry? Snap at someone. Sad? Cancel everything. Anxious? Spiral into an existential crisis.

Welcome to the emotionally-driven lifestyle, where feelings are facts, truth is optional, and consequences are something Future You can cry about later.

Want to really ruin your day? Here's how to spiral like a pro:

Feeling unappreciated? Ghost everyone and post: “Funny how people only miss you when you’re gone.”

Feeling overwhelmed? Cancel plans, ignore texts, and then wonder why you’re lonely. .

Feeling offended? Assume the worst. Skip clarification. Practice your confrontation speech in the shower.

Feeling insecure? Jump on TikTok. Your worth is definitely defined by likes right?

Feeling sad? Great! Now’s the perfect moment to question every life decision you’ve ever made.

Feeling anxious? Google "weird chest pain" and convince yourself you have 4 hours to live.

Feeling impulsive? Dye your hair, quit your job, and DM someone you shouldn’t. All before lunch.

But before you do, stop and consider the following factors that might be contributing to your current mood:

• Hormones:  Your body has several chemical influencers: cortisol, estrogen, insulin, and serotonin are some examples. Don't underestimate their influence. They could easily land you in jail.

• Sleep Deprivation:  Because nothing says “emotionally stable” like 3 iced coffees and 4 hours of sleep.

• Junk Food:  Eat trash, feel like trash. Not rocket science.

• Pain & Illness:  Pain multiplies drama. Understandably. Call your bestie.

• Dehydration:  You’re not overwhelmed. You’re just thirsty.

• Blood Sugar Crashes:  Ever sobbed over toast? Same.

• Medications & Stimulants:  Even your antidepressants might be sad.

• Circumstances: Situations like financial stress, work pressure, or family drama can stir the emotional pot. Don't take it out on the dog.

• Environment: Messy room? Crowded bus? Long lines? Certain lighting? All potential mood saboteurs.

• People: Our interactions with others can deeply affect how we feel. For better or for worse.

• Media Consumption: What you watch, listen to, scroll through, or read can have a drastic effect on your mood. Just like junk food, if it's trash, you'll feel like trash.

• Weather: Ahh sunlight. A perfect sun shiny day does good like a medicine! Some people become extremely affected when those days start to shorten.

• Sensory Input: Smells, sounds, fabric against your skin...if you're agitated, one of these might be the culprit.

• Memories: A song, place, even a smell can pull up emotional flashbacks, good or bad.

  
  

  Not too long ago, I hit a few of those emotional landmines and ended up yelling at a bank manager. The result? They closed our account—without telling us. We couldn’t access our money for two weeks.

  Looking back, I realize I should’ve paid attention to the internal chaos running the show and kept my cool.

  …Then again, if I’d known that little comment would get our account shut down, maybe I should’ve gone all in and said what I really thought. Might as well make it worth it, right?

  Let’s be real—there are a lot of ingredients that go into the emotional soup we’re simmering in at any given moment. Hormones, sleep (or lack of it), stress, that weird dream you had, the itchy tag on your shirt, the tone in someone’s email, even the smell of burnt toast… they all add flavor to your mood.

  
  

  The challenge? Pausing long enough to figure out what’s actually going on before you decide to flip a table or ghost your entire contact list.

  
  

  We’ve all heard the wise mantra: “Respond, don’t react.” Sounds great on a throw pillow. But in real life? It’s hard. It takes practice. Daily.

  
  

  Personally, I have to pray every morning (especially since I'm perimenopausal), “Okay, Lord… whatever happens today, help me breathe before I blow. Help me pause, look around, and not let my emotions take over. Help me understand what I feel is not my reality”.

  
  

  Because snapping is easy. Stopping takes strength.

  
  

  And sometimes that strength comes from just saying, “Maybe I’m not actually mad. Maybe I’m just tired, hungry, overstimulated, hormonal, or wearing scratchy socks."

  
  
  
  

Finally, What Scripture Says About Following Feelings aka Your Heart

Proverbs 14:12 – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”

Just because it feels right doesn’t mean it’s not a dumpster fire in disguise.

Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things…”

Deceitful: Intentionally misleading or dishonest; trying to make someone believe something that isn't true. This means your heart (your emotions, desires, inner compass) is capable of tricking you — making something feel right even when it’s dead wrong.

Ephesians 4:26 – “Be angry and do not sin…”

You’re allowed to feel angry, just maybe don’t throw that chair. Or yell at a bank manager.

John 14:27 – “Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Notice the word "let". It's a verb. That means you have a choice. He wants to give you His peace—even when you’re a hot emotional mess.

Matthew 26:39 - "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Even Jesus felt despair—but He still obeyed the Father. That’s what spiritual maturity looks like.

Your emotions are multi-sensory, multi-source signals. They're real — but they’re not always reliable.  Letting them drive is like handing your toddler the keys and wondering why you crashed into a McDonald’s. Maybe you should be the adult and drive them instead.

Anger, sorrow, rejection? Jesus felt them all. But He never let emotions override mission. He flipped tables for a righteous reason—not because He skipped lunch.

Want to feel differently? Sometimes the shift starts with:

• a prayer,

• a nap,

• a walk outside,

• or just changing your jeans.

Have a great day my friends!