What to write / Get well soon messages
Get well soon messages
A get well card is a small thing that lands at a good moment: when someone is stuck on the sofa or in a hospital bed with a long day ahead of them. It says somebody has noticed they are missing.
The one thing that matters most is matching the tone to how ill they are. A sprained ankle can take a joke. A serious diagnosis needs something quieter, and often should not say 'get well soon' at all.
Here are 54 messages, grouped by who they are for and what has happened. Use one as it is, or change a word or two so it sounds like you.
How to write one
Match the tone to how ill they are
Colds, flu, sprains and broken bones can take some teasing. An operation wants warmth with a light touch. A long or serious illness wants plain kindness, and no jokes unless they are making them first.
Do not promise a recovery you cannot know
'You'll be back to normal in no time' is a guess, and they know it. Wish them rest, comfort and better days instead. Those are true whatever happens.
Offer something specific
'Shout if you need anything' rarely gets shouted. Offer a lift to the appointment, a walk for the dog, shopping left on the step or an hour of company on Wednesday. Then do it.
Know when not to say get well soon
If they are not going to get well soon, or at all, the phrase can sting. 'Thinking of you' and 'I'm here' do the same job without asking them to recover on time.
Tell them they are missed
People who are ill worry that they are a nuisance or have been forgotten. Say the office is dull without them, their seat is being kept, the dog keeps looking for them at the gate.
Short get well soon messages
Enough on their own, or a good first line before something more personal.
Get well soon. The place is far too quiet without you.
Rest, tea, repeat. Thinking of you and hoping tomorrow is a better day.
Sorry you're poorly. Sending love and a strong recommendation to stay under the blanket.
Thinking of you and wishing you a quick, dull, uneventful recovery.
Heard you were under the weather. Consider this card a hot water bottle you can read.
Hoping each day is a little easier than the last. You are missed.
Get well soon messages for a friend
I hate that you're ill and I can't fix it, so I'm doing the next best thing: turning up on Saturday with soup and gossip.
Get well soon. The pub quiz team hit a new low without you, and I'm afraid we are all blaming you.
You have looked after everyone else for years. It's your turn to be fussed over, so please let us. I'll ring tomorrow.
Being ill is boring, so here is the plan: you rest, I bring biscuits and the latest news, and we put the world to rights from your sofa.
Just a note to say I'm thinking of you. Text me your shopping list and I'll leave it on the step, no chatting required.
Get well soon messages for Mum or Dad
Mum, you spent years bringing me flat lemonade and toast on a tray. Now it's my turn. Get well soon, and let me fuss.
Dad, please do what the doctor said, not what you have decided the doctor meant. Rest up. The shed will still be there next week.
Get well soon, Mum. The whole family has discovered that nobody knows where anything is without you. Love you lots.
Dad, you have never been any good at sitting still, so think of this as practice. Thinking of you, and coming over at the weekend.
Get well soon messages for Nan or Grandad
Get well soon, Nan. I'm coming round with a cake as soon as you are up to visitors, and I'll even do the washing up.
Grandad, I hear you are keeping the nurses entertained. Get better soon: the garden is asking after you, and so am I.
Nan, you have run around after all of us for long enough. Put your feet up and let us do the running for once. Lots of love.
Thinking of you, Grandad. Rest up, keep warm, and save me the best stories for when I visit on Sunday.
Get well soon messages for a colleague
Tell them work is covered. It is the thing they are most likely to be fretting about.
Sorry to hear you're unwell. Everything here is in hand, so please rest and do not open your emails.
Get well soon. The office is still running, though nobody can find anything and the tea round has collapsed. Come back when you're ready, not before.
We miss you, and not only because you are the one person who understands the printer. Rest up and take all the time you need.
Wishing you a steady recovery. Work will keep. Look after yourself first, and we will see you when you are well.
Get well soon messages for a child
Short words they can read for themselves, and something to look forward to.
I heard you are poorly. I hope you feel better very soon and get lots of cuddles and your favourite film.
Get well soon, superstar. Being ill is rubbish, but you are being very brave. See you when you are bouncing again.
Sending you a big hug and a gold star for being brave. Get better soon, and then we will go to the park.
A little bird told me you are not very well. Stay cosy, drink your juice and feel better soon. We all miss you.
Get well messages after an operation or a hospital stay
So glad the operation is behind you. Now comes the dull part: resting. Do it thoroughly, and let people bring you things.
Thinking of you in hospital. I hope the tea is drinkable, the ward is quiet and you are home in your own bed very soon.
Glad to hear it all went well. Healing takes the time it takes, so no rushing. I'll pop in as soon as you are up to visitors.
Hospital is no place to get any sleep, so I hope they send you home quickly. Until then I'm a phone call away, and I do deliveries.
Welcome home. Feet up, kettle on, and no lifting anything heavier than a mug. I'll be round on Friday to check.
Get well messages for a broken bone or an injury
Funny is fine here, as long as they are on the mend and not in much pain.
Sorry about the leg. On the bright side, you now have a cast-iron excuse to be waited on. Use it wisely.
I hear the stairs won. Heal well, and I look forward to the heroic version of the story.
A broken wrist is a drastic way to get out of the washing up. Heal quickly. Bagsy first to sign the cast.
Get well soon. Until you are back on your feet, I'm happy to be your legs. Send me the list.
What to write for a long illness or a serious diagnosis
No jokes, no fighting talk, no 'stay positive', and no 'get well soon' if they may not. Just be there, and say so.
I was so sorry to hear your news. I don't have clever words. I just want you to know I'm thinking of you, today and every day.
You don't have to be brave or cheerful for me. Good days and bad days, I'm here for both. I'll ring on Sunday.
Thinking of you as treatment starts. I'm around on Tuesdays and I'd like to be your lift. Say the word and I'll be outside.
No need to reply to this. I wanted you to have something arrive that was not an appointment letter. Thinking of you, always.
I'm not going to tell you what to do or how to feel. I'm going to keep turning up, with cake and the crossword, for as long as you'll let me.
What to write when someone is struggling with their mental health
Kind and steady. Do not try to fix it, and do not ask them to cheer up or explain.
I heard things are hard at the moment. You don't need to explain or reply. I'm thinking of you, and I'm on the end of the phone whenever you want.
No advice and no pep talk. Just this: you matter a great deal to me, on your good days and your bad ones.
You don't have to feel better by any particular date. I'll be here whenever that is, and I'll keep the kettle on.
Thinking of you. If a walk, a brew or just sitting in the same room would help, I'm in. If not, that is fine too, and I'll ask again next week.
Funny get well soon messages
For colds, flu and sprains, and for people who would rather laugh. Not for anything serious.
Get well soon. I would visit, but I have seen what that cold did to you and I am a coward. I have left oranges on the doorstep and run.
Man flu, I hear. It only ever strikes the bravest. Keep your fluids up and your complaints coming.
Get well soon. Daytime telly is a slippery slope, so please recover before you start having opinions about antiques.
I hear you are ill. I prescribe one blanket, two biscuits and no checking of work emails. Repeat until better.
You are officially excused from everything. Lie down, look pathetic, accept snacks. This offer ends the moment you feel better.
Get well soon messages from all of us
For a card from the office, the team, the class or the street.
Get well soon from all of us. We have kept your chair, your mug and your parking space exactly as you left them.
Everyone here is thinking of you. Take your time and come back when you are right. It is not the same without you.
From the whole team: get well, but take your time. We are managing, but only just, and nobody else laughs in the right places.
We all signed this, which should tell you how much you are missed. Get well soon, from every one of us.
What to leave out
- 'Get well soon' to someone who is not going to: 'thinking of you' is kinder and just as warm.
- Fighting talk such as 'battle', 'beat this' and 'stay strong', which makes being ill sound like a test they could fail.
- Promises about their recovery that are not yours to make.
- The story of someone you know who had the same thing, however it ended.
- Remedies, diets and any other advice they have not asked for.
Questions people ask
What can I write instead of get well soon?
Try 'Thinking of you', 'Hoping today is a good day', 'Wishing you rest and comfort' or simply 'I'm here'. These work when the illness is long, serious or uncertain, because they do not ask the person to recover by a deadline.
Should I mention the illness?
Follow their lead. If they have told you themselves, you can name it plainly: 'I was sorry to hear about your operation'. If you heard second-hand, keep it general: 'I heard you have not been well'. Either way, do not ask for details. They will tell you what they want you to know.
Is it all right to be funny in a get well card?
Yes, for a cold, the flu, a sprain or a broken bone, and for someone who likes to laugh. Tease the situation, never the person. For anything serious, leave the jokes out unless they are the one making them, and even then keep yours gentle.
When should I send a get well card?
As soon as you hear. If they are in hospital for a short stay, send it to their home so it is waiting for them, or send an animated card by WhatsApp or email on the day. For a long illness, a second card a few weeks later is often the one that means most, because by then the first rush of messages has gone quiet.
What do I write to someone I don't know well?
Keep it short and kind: you were sorry to hear they are unwell, you are thinking of them, and you hope they are being well looked after. For a colleague, add that work is covered. That is all it needs.
How do I sign off a get well card?
'With love' or 'Lots of love' for family and friends. 'Thinking of you' when things are serious. 'Best wishes' or 'Wishing you well' for a colleague or a neighbour. For a group card, 'From all of us' and then the names.