Who does not love receiving thanks or gratitude from someone you have helped? People appreciate being appreciated. Sometimes a thank you email, a simple thank you text “thx” - means everything. But, even more valuable is a handwritten thank you note? Writing and sending thank you notes is sometimes a habit hard to start. Especially if you live on your devise and have not grown up with the tradition. For some reason, most of us have a mental block when it comes to sending out those handwritten heartfelt missives. Where is the auto correct? Can I pull up an example to look at?
But we need to adjust our mindset because penning a thank you note is not just great for lifting someone’s spirits, they are also great for lifting our own. It allows us to take a break from endless hours on our phones and computers.
Thank you notes can elevate our relationships: Strengthening a friendship’s already-close bond or turning an acquaintance into a friend. Putting pen to paper can even benefit your self-esteem, as well as your physical and psychological health according to Psychology Today magazine.
But before we feel good about sending greetings of gratitude, we need to actually write down our thoughts on paper. It is not as complicated as you think. There is an easy formula to a thank you note.
The best thank you note has five key characteristics.
They are generous, specific, prompt, succinct and personal. Here is an example of a thank-you note for a gift:
Dear Jane,
Thank you so much for the comfy sweater. I look forward to wearing it for years to come. Your thoughtful gift means so much to me.
Warmly, John
And there are many gifts to send thank you notes for. There are birthday, baby and wedding showers, anniversary and holiday gifts. But thank you notes are for so much more than just receiving a gift. You should be alert to the many occasions when you can thank people who give you their time, their thoughts, their patience, their information, their connections, and their hospitality. These generous acts may surround an annual event of milestone or occur throughout your life.
So, let us break it down: Start with “Dear, The person’s name”
1. “Thank you for X…”
2. “I appreciate Y…”
3. “I enjoyed Z…”
End with “Sincerely, Your name.”
That is, it! The first sentence identifies the thing or event you are sending the note for. The second sentence points out something specific about the item or experience. The third sentence provides one more detail as to why you especially appreciated the item. Here you can improvise too and say something about the future, like a future event or time you look forward to enjoying the item or seeing the person again.
It is very simple. Writing thank you notes also give you a way to give yourself a break, take a minute, reflect on what you are thankful for and appreciate, on those people who help you, give you strength and support. It is a very true saying that you can’t feel grateful and upset at the same time. Thankfulness forces us to reflect and realize we are blessed.
You can be thanking people for items beyond a material gift. If you are thanking friends for a party, mention details about the event that you will hold as memories: a favorite food, the table decorations, someone at the party you enjoyed meeting, or anything else that comes to mind as special.
If you are thanking them for a kindness (they picked you up from school every day for two weeks, they helped you move, offered you coffee when you were down, they loaned you their grill for a backyard party you hosted), mention how you benefited from their kindness and how you are touched by it.
If you want to take your thank you note writing skills up a notch you can go beyond simply signing Best, Sincerely, or something equally as generic at the end. And, put some thought and heart into it, and close on a high note!
If you are sending your note to a relative, you could write something like, From your niece, the one who knows you are the best aunt ever. If it is to a friend — let us say it is the one who gave you the coffee maker — your salutation could be, With love from the person to visit when you want the best coffee ever.
If you are thanking people for their party or dinner, touch on something you have not already mentioned about the event in your note: Daydreaming about your chocolate creme brûlée right now.
But you don’t have to be a poet to write a thank you note that will be appreciated simply putting pen to paper is a great way to start.