A turn, not a mood
Repent
turn and come home
Greek (metanoeite) — μετανοεῖτε
People hear this word and think it means feel bad. It does not. It means turn around and take the other road.
In Greek the command is metanoeite. The mind changes, and the change is not allowed to stay in the head. John says it at the river. Jesus begins to preach with it: the kingdom of heaven is at hand, so turn. Mark adds the other half in the same breath: repent, and believe the news.
The prophets already demanded the same thing in Hebrew. Shuv means turn, return, come home. Joel does not say feel sorry. He says turn to the Lord with all your heart. The Greek word did not invent a lighter duty. It carried that turn into the street.
Peter will not let you split them. He says repent, and be converted. One word is the mind that turns. The next is the body that actually goes. Paul says a godly sorrow can lead you there. The sorrow of the world does not. Tears can come with the turn. Tears are not the word.
If you say repent, do not mean a mood you can keep while you stay where you are. Mean that you are done with that road.