Imagine the world back to normal. People roaming around without masks, queues at all the clubs worldwide, lovers dancing at a disco throwing their worries away, and all of us working from our offices. Life will be happier.
And soon, nobody will remember life during the pandemic-caused lockdowns. What if there was a way to remind yourself of how you are getting by during the pandemic days?
Enter FutureMe—a platform that allows you to write a letter to the future you. Let's see how you can use FutureMe to send a letter to the "2025 you," describing life during COVID-19.
How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self With FutureMe
FutureMe makes it easy to send a memorable letter to your future self. Just follow these steps to get started!
1. Decide What You Want to Write About
This is an important task that will probably take up most of your time. Pick up a topic that you want to write about. It can be anything—from your workout sessions to a new skill you picked up during the pandemic. Think and come up with something you would want to read about in the future.
2. Write!
The first thing you've got to do is log on to the official website of FutureMe. On the right half of the screen, you'll see a box titled Your Future Letter. You can start writing to yourself in the box itself.
Add as many details as you want. You can also click on the Full-Screen button on the top right corner of the box to enter full-screen mode.
3. Choose a Date
Once you have written the letter, pick a date when you want the letter to be sent to you in the future. The website offers options for one, two, and three years. You can choose the period you prefer.
If you want to add a specific date, click on the Choose a Date option and then add in the numerics. The option will look like this:
Clicking on Choose Duration will take you back to choosing between one, two, and five years.
4. Add Your Email Address
Now that your letter is done and the date is chosen, you need to give the website your email address where you want to receive the email from your future self.
Make sure that you don't enter your official or work email address, as it can change. Lastly, click on the Send to the Future button and get ready to be surprised by yourself!
Topics to Base Your Letter On
The pandemic has brought a lot of changes in everyone's life. From pushing businesses to operate remotely to even changing appetites, everyone has their own set of struggles to deal with.
Here are some ideas you can base your letter on.
The Distorted Sense of Time
One of the most interesting things to write about can be the distorted sense of time. With no office to go to and no school to attend, people feel that time is playing tricks on them.
Most of us have forgotten about what day it is! While this isn't much of a challenge, it does describe how human psychology works. Routines have been disturbed, and there is no event to commit to, leading to a blurred life without anchors.
During this time, people are more anxious, feel lonely, and bored. As a result, time seems to be passing by rather slower than usual.
However, some people can maintain social interactions, keep themselves busy with work, or find a new hobby to remain entertained. This group feels that time is moving faster.
The Reign of TikTok
As people are at home and don't have much to do, most of them turn to TikTok to keep their social life intact. The app entered the scene like a hero, saving people from the lockdown-caused boredom. Around 181 million users joined the app in 2020 alone.
You can write about your favorite TikTok videos and even mention how it feels to make a TikTok video. Describe the experience of editing TikTok videos and the exhilaration that comes with getting a huge number of views on your videos.
The Working From Home Scene
Another idea could be writing about how working from home erodes the wall between work and home. Workdays become more fluid, as there is no sense of when the day begins and ends.
There is no way to leave the virtual pandemic office. Usually, working people tend to leave their office stress at work. But where would you leave it when your home is literally your new office?
Vaccines
This is probably the most interesting and important topic to write about. Since this is the first time vaccines for a virus so deadly have been created within a year, many people are skeptical of getting jabbed. However, thorough research, campaigns by trusted companies, and assurance by doctors have reminded people of the importance of getting vaccinated.
You can write about your first vaccine experience and the problem you faced after getting the shot. Maybe mention a few details about whether you got a fever, body ache, or felt nauseated after the shot.
FutureMe: Other Interesting Features
The best part about FutureMe is that it is free and quite easy to use. Once you have written the letter, you can also make it public for everyone to read. This will be anonymous to maintain privacy. So, you can even write a letter that people can take inspiration from. The website also allows you to view other public letters. It is definitely a good reading exercise!
Moreover, if you're a teacher or an organization, you can create a custom community for your students or employees. It can be a forum for them to exchange letters and view their colleagues' letters in the public letters section.
It's Time to Start Typing!
Now that you have everything you wanted to know about FutureMe, start typing your letter! Reading letters can be exciting when you haven't received one in a long time. Not only does it bring back nostalgia, but you'll also be surprised by how even a short span of time can create a change in the perception of an individual.