This week Her Campus had the opportunity to sit down with School of Education Senior, Francesca Ciaramitaro. You may know her from her time as Executive Vice President of the Panhellenic Organization or her representative position on Central Student Government, but Her Campus was interested to learn more about the social media movement she ignited in 2014, which she calls, “Happy Monday.”
Her Campus: Tell us about “Happy Monday”
Francesca Ciaramitaro: The central message that I’ve tried to convey through “Happy Monday” is that you have the power to control your perspective, and therefore so many other aspects of your life, because your outlook can change almost anything. If you wake up and say, “Today is going to be awful,” you probably will not have a great day because you went into it with a negative mindset. But, if you wake up and say, “I’m going to have a great day today,” it changes everything. There are a lot of ways that this message can translate: pursuing your passions, showing gratitude, being kind… I consider all of those a part of the many meanings of “Happy Monday.”
HC: When did you decide this message was important?
FC: In September of 2014, I started living in my sorority house with over 70 other girls. It was the first Monday of the school year, and I heard a few people saying the typical stuff you hear on Mondays about wanting to go back to bed or wishing it was Friday. So, I posted a Facebook status telling people that I disliked the stigma that Mondays can not be great days, and encouraged them to choose to have a good day. It didn’t even say “Happy Monday” in it. I would say that was when I first decided that this was important, but I had no idea what was going to come after that initial status.
HC: So it just took off from there?
FC: When I realized how many people were into it, I posted another the following week, and another, and another. People would comment things like, “Needed this today, thank you!!” or would bring it up when they saw me out, saying how much they appreciated it. Every single time someone communicates to me that it has turned their day around or that they appreciate it, it hits me again how important it is.
HC: How has your college experience changed since you started “Happy Monday”?
FC: Happy Monday has dramatically enhanced not only my college experience, but so many other aspects of my life. I’m studying to be a teacher, and Happy Monday has helped me shape what my teaching philosophy looks like. I can not wait to share Happy Monday with my students. Happy Monday has also changed the way I interact with people. For instance, one time, I was getting coffee, and I asked the barista how his day was going. He said, “Well, it’s Monday,” and frowned. I told him that just because it was Monday did not mean it was going to be a bad day, and that he could choose to have a great one, and he kind of gawked at me for a second. A few minutes later, as he handed me my coffee, he thanked me. It was pretty cool, and I love having that kind of conversation with people I might never see again.
HC: Can you tell us more about the responses you are getting about this movement?
FC: The response has been overwhelmingly positive. I love when people call me out when I forget to post the Facebook statuses. I will get texts around dinner time saying, “Where’s the HM?” or “No Happy Monday today??” It makes me feel like this has actually made a difference in people’s lives. Another amazing response was when people started posting their own Happy Mondays. I had never expected anything like that to happen!
HC: How can we all get involved?
FC: There are so many simple ways to be a part of the Happy Monday movement. Put off your homework for just a little bit longer and get Rod’s with a friend you haven’t seen in while. Compliment a stranger for no reason other than to compliment them. Embrace the Happy Monday mentality by choosing to make every day a great one, and spread the good vibes to everyone around you.
HC: What is next for Happy Monday?
FC: I have been trying to figure out what the next step is for expanding Happy Monday. A few months ago I decided to spread Happy Monday from Facebook to its own Instagram account, and that’s been really fun (@happymondaygirl), but I think there is more that can be done. I love collaborating with other people and organizations and hearing new ideas, so if anyone out there wants to talk Happy Monday, I am always down.
If you are interested in talking to Ciaramitaro about Happy Monday or you want to offer her positive thoughts that this budding mental health guru can share with her followers, feel free to slide into her Instagram DMs using the tag listed above. Happy Monday is a positive thinking revolution taking the University of Michigan campus by storm. Let’s all help her to spread the love.
Images courtesy of: Francesca Ciaramitaro