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| The many moods of the author. |
I've decided that I'm not going to single out any one super cheery individual - they know who they are, and for whatever the reason, they've determined they're not letting their bad mood out to breathe. If you're not sure who I'm talking about, just find anyone who talks about motivation, inspiration, making a difference, or being a superhero teacher (another chat covered this recently).
It's not that there's something wrong with a positive outlook, but let's face it. There are days that are hard. There are days that we don't want to get out of bed, and there are Sundays that seem to move way too quickly. The pay is small, and the demands are many. The gratitude comes intermittently. Fellow teachers throw each other under the bus, are resistant to change, seem unwilling to grow. There's any number of reasons to be in a bad mood, and each is valid.
I guess what I'm really saying is it's okay to be in a bad mood. No, you shouldn't let yourself get bogged down with bad moods. But you don't have to be unbearably chipper at all times. That's lying. And you're better than that.
You are right that we often times put only the great things up on social media. That's why many people have FOMO when their friends seem to have such great lives/partners/workplaces, etc. I will tell you though, I NEED the positivity I find on Twitter. Sometimes my workplace is anything but positive and Twitter helps me keep my sanity. It's not the kids. It's the adults. Even though I choose not to engage with most of those people, it is hard to completely avoid them. I rarely let their bad mood affect my day, but I do let the positive I find on social media affect me. There are days it's hard to get out of bed. That's when I make a conscious choice I am going to be positive. My mental health is better that way.
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