Have you written an email recently?
No, not at work.
No, not to send files from one device to another.
Not to forward a new sale from your favorite brand either.
Just an email. With words and sentences from your mind. To someone you know.
Do you remember?
It’s probably been fifteen years or so, since we have stopped doing this. I’m old enough to remember sending an email response to ‘What’s up?’.
But why would you do that now? In an era of texting, DMs, and emojis. And ‘seen’ and ‘typing…’?
I forget the exact reason, but an old friend of mine and I started corresponding over email when we were no longer in the same city. We used to write emails in the past. But it had been a while.
The experience blew me away. It was not only a different, and refreshing way of communicating, but surprisingly effective one. The conversation is currently more than twenty emails long. And it’s a great conversation!
Three quick thoughts from my personal experience:
1 — Email allows you to finish your thoughts.
It lets you finish saying what you want to say. Completely. Without interruptions. Most modern tools have sufficient distractions that change the way you express your thoughts.
We probably underestimate the impact of the ‘seen’ and ‘typing…’ status, and quick emoji reactions to your previous messages. They don’t let us slow down. And apply a certain time pressure. Not in all conversations, maybe. But a majority of them.
2 — Email reduces the pressure to respond.
Unless you’re communicating with someone who loves to use marketing or tracking tools in their email, people don’t know when you open their email. Which is great! This allows you to read and respond when you want to. That may not apply to all your conversations. But it’s quite a powerful “feature” when it does.
The reduced pressure also allows you to focus on what you’re writing. The thoughts you are laying down. Or an emotion you are trying to fully express. Critically, email allows you to change your thoughts if you don’t like them once they’re ‘on paper’. Without a ‘send’ button constantly lurking nearby, you can take a pause, and edit what you wrote. Without anyone knowing about it.
3 — You can keep your phone away if you want to.
Try using a laptop or a computer instead. Try typing an email with a physical keyboard instead. You won’t be able to swipe words into existence. But you may not miss that much. Want to take it further? Use a mechanical keyboard for soul-satisfying clicks. Or maybe an ergonomic keyboard if you really … anyways, I digress.
Notification on computers exist, of course. But they are generally not as ‘in your face’ as the ones on your phone. Nor do they take up a large portion of your device’s screen. If any of this prevents you from losing your train of thought, that’s a win!
Personal emails may not be for everyone. You may simply hate using such archaic technology. But I’m writing this to tell you to consider giving it a shot because it may surprise you in a very positive way. Just ask a friend if they would be open to one email a week. Doesn’t mean you stop texting them. Or seeing them in person. Still try emails. If you have a friend or family member living far away, definitely try emailing them.
And hey, old school distraction-free, and productivity-enhancing devices are currently in fashion (let me know in comments if you would like to know more about them). Why not try something for free? You already know how to do it.
Thank you for reading! And see you again, hopefully!
