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How positive Twitter can boost your mood and brighten your day

We could all use a break from bad news and bad takes

Perspective by
August 7, 2018 at 1:21 p.m. EDT
((AP/Lily illustration))

Like many of the over 2.45 million fans who follow Lin-Manuel Miranda on Twitter, I look forward to the Broadway star’s messages. The multi-talented artist takes the time to tweet a good morning or evening message. It’s a Mr. Rogers-inspired way to set the tone for the day or night ahead.

Miranda’s greetings are soothing and centering. They’re not above the occasional curse word. The words are just simple gestures that drastically break up the overall tone of my feed, which is otherwise much more along the lines of “the sky is falling.”

So take a minute. Don’t panic. And look for a little positivity on Twitter. I know it’s out there since Miranda isn’t the only one offering good vibes one tweet at a time. Maybe it’s a friend with Oprah-like levels of perspective. Or, maybe it’s someone in your field who shares their wisdom with their followers freely.

Take Sree Sreenivasan for example, a popular tech reporter turned social media wizard and coach. Like Miranda, Sreenivasan gets personal with his audience.

I’ve been especially impressed with the way Sreenivasan has talked about losing his job. It began as a surprise two years ago, when he was let go from his chief digital officer position at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as part of a cost-cutting effort. Sreenivasan turned to his Facebook friends for advice on what to do next, and hundreds of responses came in. He’s been open with his audience about his career path ever since.

In July, Sreenivasan started an ongoing thread of resources and tips. He’s been open about his previous dismissal, but with this thread, he opened up space for others to do the same. “They say adversity builds character,” he wrote. “Having lost two high-profile jobs in 12 months, my character is now awesome.”

Another one of my regular sources for feel-good tweets is director Ava DuVernay. She’s not only a master of sharing adorable photos but of posting behind-the-scenes shots of her upcoming projects. DuVernay also makes time to answer questions from fans, occasionally giving out some pretty great real-life advice. Over the weekend, she offered a gently worded but all too truthful tweet about the writing process. You can just about apply it to any skill that requires hours of practice and years to perfect.

None of these accounts are 24/7 positive messaging, but visiting their profiles on Twitter doesn’t feel like you’re being served with ads. Instead, it’s a conversation, a call for support or a signal boost of a story that resonates with them. It’s personal, just like their feel-good tweets.

I try to appreciate every bit of positivity that comes my way, be it in the form of an adorable childhood photo, a thoughtful greeting or some helpful advice. A dose of good vibes goes a long way toward making my delayed train, overcrowded workspace, rescheduled meeting or canceled dinner plan that much more tolerable.