How One Message Ruined My Entire Day—And What I Wish I Had Done Differently

What If We Could Stop Letting Small Things Ruin Our Day?

You ever wake up feeling amazing—like today is the day everything is going to fall into place? The sun is shining, the universe is on your side, and you’re ready to take on the world. That was me. I woke up feeling peaceful, present, and grateful. I even took a moment to soak in the stillness, whispering a quick thank you to source for waking me up this fine morning. Little did I know, my entire mood was about to take a nosedive because of one simple work message that shouldn’t have held that much power over me.

My Morning Routine of Peace & Productivity

Like every morning, I went through my routine:

✅ A light breakfast for just enough fuel to power my workout.
✅ Pre-workout drink? Check.
✅ My Yorkie, Bella, waiting for her usual antics? Oh, absolutely. Check.

Now, Bella knows that as soon as I head downstairs to work out, she gets her moment to shine. She does her little twirls, spins, and runs in circles—her special way of demanding that I carry her downstairs like royalty. “Bella, I’m not for your stuff this morning.” I tell her, knowing full well I’m about to give in like I always do. I had an amazing workout. I even visualized myself as the fitness model version of myself that I have on my vision board. I took an image of my dream body and placed a cutout of my face on top. Every time I think of that picture, I push a little harder, lift a little heavier, and feel the energy of the future me. By the time I finished, I was ready to take on the day.

But then… work happened.

How One Work Message Took Me From Calm to Chaos

I logged into my computer, still feeling pretty good—that is, until my manager messaged me. As soon as I saw the little notification on the Teams chat, I thought, and so it began.

💬 “Hey, I need that report today. Make sure it has the most recent data. This should be a priority.”

Okay, cool. That’s my normal report. I wasn’t worried. In fact, I like to think of my job as a paid learning opportunity while I build my future career as a Data Analyst. So I did what I usually do—I started my day working on my personal projects, sharpening my skills, and practicing data visualization. My manager always stresses taking time to work on building our skills, so I choose first thing in the morning since it’s normally quiet because I’m one of the first ones on.

Then, my manager messaged me again.

💬 “How’s the report coming along?”

Me: Still working on it! (Total lie—I hadn’t even started.)

When I finally sent the report, her response felt like a punch to my ego. It was like confidently walking onto a stage, only to trip over the microphone cord and faceplant in front of the entire audience.

💬 “I thought I was clear. I said I wanted the most recent data.”

What I read: “Are you stupid? Do what I told you to do, and stop wasting my time.”

That was it. One short message and my mood spiraled. It was like a single gust of wind knocking over a perfectly stacked house of cards—one moment, everything felt stable, and the next, it was a scattered mess. My once peaceful morning? Gone.

Suddenly, I was updating my resume, looking for new jobs, and convinced that this one tiny incident meant I needed to make a life change ASAP. But life had other plans.

The Universe Had a Funny Way of Stopping Me

I went straight to CareerBuilder, ready to make my escape. First, it took a while to log in because it’s been so long since I looked for a job. I was on my current job for 5 years. I finally got in after going back and forth from the website to my email to complete the forgot my password option.

But then:

❌ The site told me I needed to upload a new resume.
❌ My resume wouldn’t upload.
❌ So I used the “Build a Resume” feature… and it wouldn’t save.
❌ After 35 minutes of frustration, it hit me:

Maybe this isn’t what I’m supposed to be doing right now. Perhaps the universe was throwing up roadblocks, not to frustrate me, but to redirect me—to make me pause, step back, and realize that I was reacting out of emotion rather than reason. Maybe this was my sign to stop running from discomfort and start managing it differently. I closed my laptop. Sat back.

And finally, let it go.

But why did I let that message control my mood in the first place?

Why Do We Let Small Things Steal Our Joy?

Looking back, I realize I gave my power away over something so small. I let one message—just a few typed-out words on a screen—dictate my entire emotional state. It was as if, in a single moment, I handed over the remote control to my happiness and let someone else start flipping through the channels.

I let one conversation define my mood, ruin my day, and even make me question my entire career path. All because I assigned meaning to a message that wasn’t necessarily there. I built a whole worst-case scenario in my mind, playing out future conversations where I’d be reprimanded, overlooked for promotions, or labeled as incompetent.

And I know I’m not the only one who does this.

How often do we let one email, one text, or one offhand comment hijack our mood? We can have an amazing morning, feeling productive, grateful, and in control—then one moment, one misunderstanding, and suddenly, we’re spiraling. We start questioning ourselves, our abilities, and even our self-worth, all because we let an external event dictate our internal state.

But the truth is, our emotions don’t have to be held hostage by someone else’s words. And once I realized that everything started to shift. I wrote another great article about managing stress if you would like to uncover some more strategies for managing stress and anxiety in everyday life.

How to Stop Overreacting to Small Things

We’ve all been there—one unexpected email, one offhand comment, or a slightly passive-aggressive text, and suddenly, our whole day feels derailed. Our minds immediately jump to worst-case scenarios, convincing us that we’ve messed up, that we’re not good enough, or that we need to drastically change something. But the truth is, most of these situations aren’t as big as we make them out to be. What if, instead of spiraling, we could train ourselves to respond differently? Here are four ways to stop overreacting to small things and regain control over your emotions.

Recognize the Trigger Moment Before It Takes Over

The first step in managing our reactions is recognizing the exact moment when something triggers us. Whether it’s a message that rubs us the wrong way, an unexpected critique, or even an awkward interaction, there’s always a split second when we feel that internal shift—our chest tightens, our stomach drops, or irritation starts creeping in. That’s our cue to pause before letting our emotions run wild.

When I read my manager’s message, I felt an instant reaction in my body—a wave of frustration mixed with insecurity. Instead of acknowledging it, I let it take over. But the moment we feel triggered is when we need to slow down. Before reacting, take a deep breath. Step away for a second. Buy ourselves time. Most of our overreactions come from immediate, unfiltered emotions. Slowing down disrupts that pattern and allows us to assess the situation more rationally. If you find yourself reacting impulsively to small things, you’re not alone. According to Psychology Today, overreacting is often a learned response based on past experiences. The good news? You can rewire your brain to respond more calmly with the right strategies.

Question Your Interpretation: Is It Really That Deep?

Often, we don’t react to what was actually said or done—we react to our interpretation of it. Our minds fill in the blanks with assumptions that may not even be true. When I read my manager’s message, she simply asked for the report to be done differently. But in my mind, I twisted it into a personal attack on my competence.

Before assuming the worst, ask yourself:

• “What else could this mean?”
• “Am I making assumptions?”
• “Is there an objective way to look at this?”

If a friend took a few hours to respond to a text, does it mean they’re mad at you? If your boss’s email seems short, does it mean you’re in trouble? Not necessarily. In many cases, we create stress out of thin air by overanalyzing something that wasn’t intended to be negative at all.

Shift Your Perspective: Not Everything Is Personal

One of the biggest mindset shifts I’ve learned is this: people’s words and actions are more about them than they are about us. My manager’s message wasn’t a personal attack—it was a request for clarification under her own pressures and deadlines.

Instead of making everything about us, we need to remember that other people are navigating their own stresses, emotions, and challenges. Maybe that rude email was written in a hurry. Maybe that person giving you a dry response is having a bad day. Maybe the “cold” message you got was just direct communication rather than an emotional slight.

Next time something upsets you, try this: reframe the situation. Instead of assuming negative intent, assume neutral intent. Ask yourself: “Could this person be dealing with something that has nothing to do with me?” Most of the time, the answer is yes.

Protect Your Energy: Don’t Give Away Your Peace for Free

At the end of the day, we are responsible for maintaining our own emotional state. When we let minor annoyances dictate how we feel, we’re essentially giving away our peace for free. And for what? A message we’ll forget about in a few days? An interaction that barely matters in the grand scheme of things?

If something small disrupts your mood, ask yourself:

• “Will this matter in a week?”
• “Is this worth my energy?”
• “Do I want to let this control the rest of my day?”

If the answer is no, make the conscious decision to move on faster. You don’t have to hold onto every irritation, every perceived slight, or every passing inconvenience. Your peace is too valuable to be shaken by something temporary.

Work-related stress can make emotional triggers even harder to manage, especially when feedback or unexpected requests catch us off guard. Harvard Business Review offers practical strategies to help you stay composed, shift your mindset, and handle workplace challenges with confidence.

Reclaiming Control Over Your Reactions

At the end of the day, we can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. If I had paused, reassessed, and let it go sooner, I could have salvaged my entire day. Instead of getting caught up in negativity, I could have chosen a different response—one that preserved my energy instead of draining it.

So next time you find yourself spiraling over something small, remember:
👉 Pause and breathe before reacting.
👉 Challenge the story you’re telling yourself.
👉 Assume neutral intent rather than negative.
👉 Decide if it’s worth your peace—because most of the time, it isn’t.

The power isn’t in what happens to us—it’s in how we choose to respond.

Join the Conversation!

What’s one small thing you’ve let ruin your day? And how do you plan to stop that from happening in the future?

Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear from you!