Curing My Letter Writing 'Slump'.

To borrow the turn of a phrase from a famous letter writer herself, 'it is a truth universally acknowledged' that in 2026 people are busy. Which is why recent trends of 'Gen Z' being interested in 'analogue' (a.k.a. 'granny') hobbies gives this letter writer hope. Organizations like the charity 'From Me to You', Postcrossing and 'Letters Against Isolation' and more are leading the fight in encouraging people to put pen to paper -- or cursor to screen -- to connect.

That's why when I found myself rescheduling my regular, weekly letter writing time further and further until eventually it was moving from week to week without actually happening I knew I had a problem. Thankfully, I implemented the below steps -- and put my phone down -- to right the ship. Crisis dodged.

Science backs it all up. Writing and receiving letters are proven to release dopamine and oxytocin, chemicals generally associated with happiness and social bonding. Handwriting triggers parts of the brain linked to memory, language and emotional processing. Even handling the letter materials -- paper, pen, envelopes, stamps -- has been suggested to counter-act 'digital fatigue'.

So I had to re-prioritize letter writing, stat. Or else I was going to be in trouble. Below are some of the tips and tricks I use to create and keep my letter writing habit. I'd love to know how you make time for letter writing!

1. Keep a letter writing kit.

This was a real game-changer for me. A portable stationery collection, essentially. Back in the early days after COVID and Penpalooza unlocked my love for pen paling I even asked folks on Twitter (RIP) to share their 'travel letter writing kits'.

What goes in a letter writing kit?

• An assortment of your favorite stationery.

• Stamps.

• Stickers.

• Washi Tape.

Why do they work? Throwing a letter writing kit in your bag means that when you're away from home you have no excuse not to put your phone down and write at least one little note. You have everything you need, after all. That's it folks, we're tricking ourselves here. I'm not going to preach that you 'need' to replace a scroll with writing a letter but I'd hazard a guess you probably don't need that reminder.

I even made customized letter writing kit bags for my letter ladies for when we go on our annual letter writing trips. If you're curious '#WML' does stand for '#WriteMoreLetters'.

2. Keep a list.

Birthdays. Weddings. Condolences. New pets. New babies. 'Just cause.' Put reminders in whatever you preference of calendar. Paper or digital. When you look at the month ahead you'll see all the small and big occasions coming up that would be a good 'excuse' to write a card.

It sounds simple but seriously, adding 'write birthday card' to your 'to-do' list will make it as natural as 'buy eggs' or 'mow lawn'. Don't rob yourself of the romance of letter writing by making it a job but in this age of busyness we have to find 'tricks' to blend in our hobbies to our habits to make time for it all, in moderation.

There was one letter writing spell recently on a train ride where I wrote 3 birthday, condolence and house warming cards to different folks. Now if that's not a snapshot of life and the milestones that popup in the lives of friends and family I don't know what a better reminder would be.

3. Make the habit.

Maybe this point is more in summary than new information (see Points 1 & 2 for more detail) but it does come down to not 'finding' the time but in fact making the time. Also, don't be afraid to show yourself a bit of grace when and if life gets loud and in the way of your letter writing. But just remember the further you are from a habit that harder it is to pick it back up -- good or bad.

That's why I set a weekly goal to write a few 'standing' letters to friends and family, plus to write a number of donated letters for the 'From Me to You' letter matching scheme. You don't have to single handedly save the postal system. But, just putting a few notes in the postbox a few times a month will have more of an effect than you can imagine.

Get in Touch.

Thanks for reading! IWant to share a tip for getting started or keeping letter writing as a constant in your life? We'd love to hear. Send us an email: info@fleamarketloveletters.com.