How’s your day going so far? Follow-up question — are you going to tell your friends all about it online? Because a lot of us do, whether that’s venting our frustrations or celebrating our wins. You know, things like, “The cute barista remembered my name… it’s gonna be a good day!” and “Ughhhh someone stole my lunch from the fridge! Could this day get any worse?! #fml.” No social media platform is better suited for this emotional outlet than Twitter, so Brandwatch took a look at tweets from all around the country and the world and published their findings in The Twitter Happiness Report: A Study on Positive and Negative Emotions Expressed on Twitter. They’re revealing which states are walking on sunshine, and which ones are just Negative Nancys.
Happiest States vs. States Having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Go west, young man (or lady), or south, because that’s where all the shiny, happy people seem to live. Georgia, Colorado and South Carolina have the highest Good-Days-to-Bad-Days tweet ratios, while Delaware, West Virginia and Iowa have the lowest. But that’s not a blanket statement about any of those states, because users who live in urban areas tend to Tweet much happier thoughts than those in rural areas. Some of the jolliest cities are Denver, L.A. and Nashville, while some of the saddest include Louisville, Fort Worth and Boston.
Battle of the Sexes: Happiness Edition
Just like in offline life, it breaks down to a “seeing the forest for the trees” type of mindset where men and women are concerned. When it comes to tweeting about day-to-day activities, guys are more likely to be positive than girls are. But ladies tweet a lot more about life in general (as in, “Loving life right now!” or “I hate my life”) than they tweet about day-to-day stuff. It all works out in the end, because ultimately men and women are on the same page when it comes to how we feel about life in general.
Everybody’s Working for the Weekend
No surprises here! The cycle of the traditional work week is a glass case of emotion. Tweeters are WAY happier with their days on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and pretty much everyone gets a case of the Mondays. We all must be using our days of rest properly as well, because we tend to be much more reflective about life over the weekend.
What Matters Most in Life
Not to blow your mind or anything, but what is life? It’s a question for the ages, and on Twitter, it seems to boil down to friends + family, money and work. Money is a pretty big day-maker (pay day, woop woop!), and work is what’s negatively affecting most tweeters’ general happiness in life. But the biggest source of both daily and long-term well-being is friends + family.
5 Tips for Boosting Your Mood
We assume you’ve had a look at your own Twitter feed to see how you measure up to these statistics, and if you’re anything like us, you’ve realized that there’s always room for improvement in the positivity department. Here are some ways to start looking on the bright side.
1. Wake up on the Right Side of the Bed: Get in the habit and become a morning person.
2. Travel to the Happiest Countries in the World: It’s a surefire way to make a big perspective change.
3. Get Your Yoga on: Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Now, do you really need to tweet about your boss being a jerk?
4. Learn the Science behind a Happy Relationship: There are no surprises here — happy wife, happy life.
5. Hit the Books: Learn something new about yourself every day with an online course on happiness.
Do you think you’re more positive/negative on social media than you are IRL? Share your feelings in the comments!
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.