Why sending or receiving a handwritten card makes you happy.

  When it’s so easy to just send a facebook or whatsapp message what’s the point of sending an actual card? The effort of finding a decent card, digging out a pen that works (cue lots of manic scribbling on a scrap bit of paper while complaining why anyone would keep a draw full of pens that don’t actually work, is that just me?) then having to engage your whole hand to form words rather than just your thumbs.  

But these hurdles are why it’s so much more meaningful to find a handwritten card on your doormat than hear your phone vibrate. The effort you know that someone has gone to, selecting a card they think you’d like and carefully choosing the right words to put onto paper, knowing that they can’t just delete and rewrite them at the push of a button.  

Research backs this up, a US study found that sending a handwritten thank you card can improve your wellbeing and that of the person you’re thanking. That’s a double win. 

And perhaps surprisingly it’s millennials that appreciate the art of handwriting more than any other group. A survey found that 81% of people considered a handwritten message to be more meaningful than a email or text but 87% of millenials felt the same way. Thinking about it, this makes sense, the generation who are now so used to everything being digital find it especially satisfying to receive something that’s tangible, reminding them of their childhood when there were no smart phones.     

 

I saw a huge surge in the number of cards being ordered during lockdown. Not being able to visit loved ones motivated people to find a way to bring much needed joy to those in need of it. But why let the easing of restrictions stop you. If you have a card stashed at home, go grab it. Whether your words are to congratulate, celebrate, thank, commiserate, or just let someone know that you are thinking of them, taking the time to send a card is worth the effort and will make you feel good, I promise.    

 

And if you don’t have a stash of cards ready to send then my card bundles or subscription service is a great way to remedy the problem and overcome that first hurdle to making someone’s day. I just can’t help you locate that one pen that actually works, sorry about that.