Send a postcard instead of a text

A text takes four seconds to send and four seconds to forget. A postcard costs about a pound and sits on a windowsill for months.

The whole appeal is the size: nobody expects a letter, so one honest sentence is enough.

Who to send one to

• Someone in hospital or recovering at home, where days are long and post is rare.
• An older relative who does not use messaging apps at all.
• A friend who has moved away and now only hears from you in a group chat.
• Anyone going through something slow - grief, illness, a hard job - months after everyone else stopped asking.

What to write

• One specific memory: the thing that reminded you of them today.
• 'No reason for this, I just thought of you' is a complete message.
• A question they can answer if they want, and ignore if they don't.
• Skip the apology for not being in touch. It makes the card about you.

Practical bits

• A6 posts as a standard letter with one stamp - no envelope needed.
• Write the message first and the address second, so you don't run out of room.
• Use an envelope if the message is private or the design is rude.
• Buy four at once and keep stamps with them, or it will never happen.

Making it a habit

• One postcard a month is twelve people a year who got real post.
• Keep a couple in a bag or desk drawer for when someone comes to mind.
• Write it while the kettle boils. It takes less time than composing a text.
• Do not wait for an occasion. The unprompted ones land hardest.

Shop postcards

How to write it so it lands

• One postcard a month is twelve people a year who got real post.
• Write the message before the address or you will run out of space.
• Unprompted beats occasion-based every time.

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Frequently asked questions

Can you post a postcard without an envelope in the UK?

Yes. An A6 postcard is within Royal Mail letter dimensions, so it goes with a single stamp, message and address written on the back. Use an envelope only if the message is private.

What do you write on a postcard?

One specific thought - what reminded you of them and when. The small space is the point: nobody expects a letter, and 'no reason, just thinking of you' is a complete message.

Why send a postcard instead of a text?

Because it lasts. A text is read and gone; a postcard sits on a windowsill for months, and for anyone who gets nothing but bills in the post it genuinely changes a day.