Handwritten "thank you" notes and cards may by considered somewhat old hat, but there is still a lot to be said for putting pen to paper, especially when it comes to expressing gratitude or extending our best wishes to our nearest and dearest. But what’s wrong with an E-card, I hear you ask!? Well the answer is, nothing, per se! EXCEPT, scientific studies show that good, old fashioned cards carry a wealth of wellbeing benefits, for both the writer and the recipient, that seem to elude with modern digital greetings. To the recipient, in particular, a handwritten note or card has a far greater emotional impact - making them feel more special and cared about - than the same message delivered in an email or text. . How do we know? Because scientists have measured emotional activity in response to different ‘card’ stimuli, and found an increase in cognitive activity in the brain from observing handwritten letters and cards, that doesn’t occur with social media messages and the like. The tests behind these findings were held under laboratory conditions by Mind Lab, an independent scientific research company on behalf of Royal Mail . The findings were backed up by further research by Amit Kumar , who found that we are widely underestimating the power of the written word in our modern digital times!
Since today is Send a Card to a Friend Day, it’s the perfect time to surprise a loved one with a tangible show of care or affection! Whether it’s a birthday wish, a thank you note or even a Valentine’s card, this simple gesture will be repaid in heart-warming dividens...and what is worth having more than that?