The Reasonable Part of All Sorts of Feelings During the Day, Every Day

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Dr. Laura Podcast

Episode: The Reasonable Part of All Sorts of Feelings During the Day, Every Day
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Date: February 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on understanding, normalizing, and managing the variety of moods and feelings experienced daily. Dr. Laura shares insights from a listener email, discusses strategies to improve emotional well-being, and emphasizes the reasonable nature of emotional fluctuations. She provides practical advice for taking control over one’s mood and shares personal anecdotes about her own experiences with ups and downs.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Moods are a Reasonable Part of Being Human

• Dr. Laura acknowledges that it's perfectly normal to experience a spectrum of emotions throughout the day.
• "You're going to have all kinds of feelings during the day, every day, and that's just a reasonable part of being alive and being a human being." — Dr. Laura (03:38)

2. Taking Control Over Your Mood

• Personal Agency: Most people have more control over their moods than they believe.
• “You have more control over your mood than you think. Should I go to a therapist and get medicine? Not necessarily. Examine—when do I feel like this?” — Dr. Laura (03:55)
• For non-clinical mood swings, personal action rather than medical intervention is often helpful.

3. Listener Story: Transforming a Bad Mood

• Dr. Laura shares an email from Nicole, a long-time listener, who was feeling overwhelmed and nearly succumbed to emotional eating.
• Nicole instead recalled Dr. Laura’s advice:
  • “Get up, get off the couch, go for a walk, breathe in the fresh air, listen to music, listen to a podcast.” — Paraphrased and recounted by Dr. Laura (01:37)
• The walk cleared Nicole’s mind and lightened her heart, making her feel ready to face the week ahead.

4. The Chemistry and Triggers of Mood

• Moods may stem from physical states (e.g., what you ate, your health) or pending stressful events.
• Personal anecdote: Dr. Laura felt anxiety before a medical appointment and eased it by singing in the car (04:20).

5. When Moods Become a Clinical Issue

• Dr. Laura distinguishes between normal mood swings and chronic clinical depression.
• Most people “do not have a profound clinical depression. Most of us have moods…It happens.”
• For persistent, debilitating symptoms, professional help may be warranted.

6. Practical Mood Management Strategies

• Take a walk (Dr. Laura’s preferred method): “That is probably the primary way to feel better. A walk.” (08:04)
  • She describes her personal "three levels of walk," with her “death march” involving a steep half-mile uphill challenge (08:19).
• Call a friend and make plans.
• Engage in creative activities or hobbies (e.g., Dr. Laura’s “art rooms” for making things).
• Watch a movie for distraction.
• Reframe boredom, which is often confused with depression.

7. Motivational Call to Action

• Dr. Laura encourages listeners to take practical steps and reach out for support, rather than dwell in negative moods.
• “You have more influence over your mood. But it's easy to feel crappy. It's easy to worry about something, fearful about something, bored with something…But a lot of times boredom is taken for depression when it's just boredom.” — Dr. Laura (09:22)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On self-guided change:

  • “We can control some of the chemical fuzzies going on upstairs in our heads if we choose to. Because either we don’t know we can or we're just too damn lazy.” (07:39)

• On creative escape:

  • “One of my other biggies is my art rooms… I go into my art room and I start making things. I love that. And the time goes way too fast.” (09:12)

• On normalizing moods:

  • “It's normal. All of that stuff is normal. When it's overwhelmingly chronic and it's a profound clinical disorder, then you probably need some treatment… but most of the time? No. Why don't we try you taking control?” (08:01)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Listener Email & Main Theme Introduction: 01:01 – 03:35
• Normalizing Mood Swings & Control: 03:38 – 04:26
• Personal Anecdote (Medical Anxiety & Singing): 04:27 – 04:58
• Strategies for Mood Management: 07:30 – 09:22
• Call to Action & Episode Close: 09:23 – End

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Tone and Style

Dr. Laura maintains her trademark candid, humorous, and direct tone throughout, using personal stories and down-to-earth advice. Her focus is empowering listeners to take small, actionable steps to improve their daily mood and overall mental well-being.

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Summary Takeaway

You will experience all sorts of feelings during the day, every day, and that’s entirely human. Rather than letting moods dictate your actions, take charge—move your body, connect with others, dive into creative activities, and above all, recognize that you have more power over your mood than you may realize.

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Transcript

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Thank you for listening to my morning monologue brought to you by Golden Crest Metals, helping everyday investors protect what they've worked so hard to build by adding gold and silver to retirement portfolios. Learn [e-mail] Protect Remember, you can hear my radio program daily on Sirius XM Triumph and connect with me 24 [e-mail] from Nicole I'm a long time listener, my husband's girlfriend and my kid's mom. Today I spent much of the day feeling overwhelmed and a bit depressed. Oh gosh, and a tiny bit sorry for myself. I was about to venture into the kitchen and eat a whole bag of cookies when all of a sudden your voice popped into my head. Get up, get off the couch, go for a walk, breathe in the fresh air, listen to music, listen to a podcast. So I chose one of your recent episodes on Sirius and just keep walking. So I did. Toward the end of my walk, my head was clear, my heart was less heavy. I felt ready to take on the week ahead. I must have been smiling when I got home because my husband said, wow, that walk must have been a good one. Thank you for being the voice inside my head so many times throughout my life. Then she said something sweet to me and I'll keep it to myself, but whoa, that's the triumvirate. You're going to have all kinds of feelings during the day, every day, and that's just a reasonable part of being alive and being a human being. That's number one. Number two. You have more control over your mood than you think. Should I go to a therapist and get medicine? Not necessarily examine. When do I feel like this? Well, I feel like this. As the caller said, when I'm alone. Well, duh. When you're alone, you feel alone. Yes. Can we remedy that? Most likely, unless somebody has a profound clinical depression. But most of us do not have a profound clinical depression. Most of us have moods. God knows I have moods and I say my moods out loud. I have a crazy mood right now. I have this mood. I have a that mood. It's my mood. It happens. What's it about? Who knows? Chemistry in the brain. What you ate for breakfast. Is your tummy feeling okay? There are a million reasons. You have a mood. You're anticipating something that's a little nerve wracking. You're worried about something. The other day I had my full physical and I was a little concerned. I wanted to find out the information about my thyroid because years back I had a doctor who said, your thyroid hormone is going up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down. I think something terrible is happening. So I got rid of him as a doctor, went to another doctor who said, no, that's normal. Especially at your age, that's normal. Two out of the three ways they test your thyroid are totally normal. One is a little bizarre. So we'll just watch it year after year. Not to worry. So I was a little concerned before I went. And I sang on the way to the doctor's. I just sang in the car to myself. I don't know how bad I am. So I was enjoying it.

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don't need to know the right answer, just what most Americans think is right.

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It's not about being the smartest. You just have to be the most average.

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We asked 100 average Americans, do they keep an empty gas can in their car?

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No.

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Have they ever broken a bone?

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No. I said a lot of no.

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[Radio Show Host / Mental Health Advocate]

But the point of this lady's email here is that she heard me say in her head, get up, get off the couch, go for a walk. Do it now. So she did, and by the time she came back, her head was clear, her heart was less heavy and she felt ready to take on the week ahead. So we can control some of the chemical fuzzies going on upstairs in their heads. We can if we choose not to. Because either we don't know we can or we're just too damn lazy. Then you're going to have terrible moods that may continue. But I get those moods. I get a time where I'm sitting there and I go, humph, humph. I'm going to sit in a corner and eat worms. That never really appeals to me. So that never happens. It's normal. All of that stuff is normal. When it's overwhelmingly chronic and it's a profound clinical disorder, then you probably need some treatment. And there have been times on the air when I recommended, but most of the time? No. Why don't we try you taking control? I get so many calls. Oh, I'm so controlling. Well, instead of using it on other people, try being controlling to yourself. Control those moods by calling somebody and seeing how they're doing. Watching a movie for at least two hours. You'll be distracted. Take a walk. I tell you, that is probably the primary way to feel better. A walk. A lot of people say exercise, okay? You go in there, pump iron, then you're exhausted. Forget that, just take a walk. I have three levels of walk. The third one I call the death march because I spend. I think it's a half a mile. I think it's a half a mile uphill at about 40 degrees. By the time I get to the top, trust me, I have no memory of a mood. I'm just so happy I got to the top. I'm still breathing and walking and Lily is, ah, that's it. Well, then we have another quarter of a mile to the house and that's flat away and a little decline. So I love that part, but I don't feel crummy anymore. Go to lunch with a friend, call a friend and say, let's go eat, let's go walk on the beach. Which, where I live, you can do easily. Stuff like that, you have control. One of my other biggies is my art rooms, as I call them. Two little rooms that were connected to be a tiny little apartment for a grandmother that's part of my house. That was the grandma room with a long flight of stairs down. So I don't know what they were planning. Push grandma down the stairs at some point. No. And I go into my art room and I start making things. I love that. And the time goes way too fast because there are times I'm late for things because I look at my watch and I go, shit. I thought I was just in here for an hour. And you know, it's like, okay, gotta get out of here. So you have more influence over your mood. But it's easy to feel crappy. It's easy worry about something fearful, about something bored with something bored gets mistaken for something else. If you're bored, do something else. But a lot of times boredom is taken for depression when it's just boredom. So those are some things for you to think about. So if something creepy has happened to you today, I'd love to hear it. But either which way, I'm here to help you with whatever mood you're in. So the number for me to help you with whatever mood you're in is 1-800-375-2872. If you like this podcast, be sure to rate it on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen to my podcast. Of course, I'd love if you gave me five stars. And be sure to share this podcast with a friend on Facebook or your preferred social media platform.