The Humble Thank You Letter

It's that time of year when I get that niggling feeling instilled in me from childhood that I need to write my thank you letters.

Often a task I would dread as a child (not wanting to spend more time at my desk than necessary), but now one of my most-looked forward to jobs for the new year - an opportunity to shut myself away for an hour or so, get creative with paper / ink / handwriting, and enjoy a moment of calm after the noise and buzz of the festivities. It's ironic how the things we dread as a child become the things we find comfort in as adults.

If, like childhood me, you're still in the dread phase, or have never thought to write a thank you letter before, then allow me to bring you round to them.

Firstly, see it as a chance to make someone you love feel special. People go to so much trouble behind the scenes at Christmas, organising food / drinks / games or hosting us which can be intensely stressful in the lead up to the big day and often goes overlooked. 

Secondly, it's a genuine moment to yourself of peace and quiet. A mindful moment with pen and paper and you're bound to feel relaxed during / after the task is complete.

Third, it really doesn't have to be a long drawn-out process. If you just select a small notecard then you're constricted to a word count that will fit the paper, so you can keep your message short and sweet and it still makes an impact.

Our thank you notecards set, from £4.20

Here's our top tips to getting started:

1. Make a list of everyone you'd like to write to and gather their addresses to hand

2. Write a point of interest against each recipient's name (a lovely gift they bought you, a funny memory you shared, thanking their efforts and kindness) so you keep on track with your letter and don't run out of space

3. Select a good pen and choose your paper / notecards. The process is always more enjoyable if you like what you're writing on/ with.

4. Make a warm drink - it's absolutely freezing at the moment and you'll need it to cradle it in-between writing!

5. Sign off with a heartfelt word of thanks to make it clear how grateful you are

6. Wrap up warm and embrace the chilly air for a stroll to your local postbox

7. Schedule the event into your calendar for the following year as a reminder, and eventually it becomes a habitual practice to be enjoyed every year, and takes away some of the January gloom

Happy writing!