Reducing Email Anxiety with AI

Using AI to write better emails faster

Writing emails seems like it should be simple, but organizing your thoughts, adjusting the tone, and capturing the nuances of a situation before hitting "send" can quickly become more complex than expected. This guide will show you how to use AI as your email assistant, making the process less stressful and turning you into a more effective communicator. Let's look at two major advantages of using AI for email writing and how to get started:

Two Key Advantages of AI-Assisted Emails

AI assistance really shines when you need to produce one of the following:

1. Neutral, Measured Responses in High-Tension Situations

Work can be stressful, and conveying stress in an email is rarely productive. Whether responding to a difficult colleague or handling a sensitive situation, AI can help craft neutral, thoughtful responses that:

• Keep communication professional and focused on the goal.

• Reduce your own emotional strain when writing challenging emails.

• Help navigate tricky scenarios with diplomacy and clarity.

2. Fast and Organized Responses

Organizing your thoughts and understanding the context often take longer than actually writing the email. AI can help by quickly generating an outline or a first draft, giving you a solid starting point. Now, instead of dreading the blank page and planning process, you've got a head start—saving time in the drafting stage and making the whole process feel a lot less daunting. That's a big win for both your productivity and peace of mind.

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A Plan of Action

Start Writing

Stop overthinking it—just start typing into a chat with your AI assistant. Sometimes, you'll have a clear idea of the situation and what you need, and other times, you just need to dump your thoughts onto the screen and let the AI help you sort them out. The key is to start typing and let AI do the heavy lifting.

Gmail Users

If you use Gmail at work, take advantage of Gemini's Gmail integration. According to Google, you can use the Gemini integration to:

• Summarize email threads.

• Suggest responses.

• Draft emails.

• Find information from past emails, Google Drive, and Calendar.

• Create new Calendar events.

Chat Assistants

If you need more flexibility, chat assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI tools can help. While you may need to copy and paste email threads for context, these tools can:

• Help structure an email draft.

• Offer tone adjustments.

• Suggest improvements based on your intent.

You can also upload documents and images for AI to analyze. This is especially useful if you need to summarize a file, extract key points, or refer to an image for additional context.

Other Resources

• Draft an email with Copilot in Outlook
• Compose text with Apple Intelligence

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Example

Imagine you're a young employee who wants to schedule a meeting with your boss to request more responsibilities. Writing the email request to your boss can feel daunting, leading many to put off the task. This is a great case where AI can help.

Open Claude or ChatGPT, and start working on your prompt.

Example prompt: This lacks the context and direction that helps the AI give you a usable response:

❌ “Can you help me write an email to my boss about more responsibilities?”

Better prompt:
✅ “Can you draft an email requesting a meeting with my boss to discuss taking on more responsibilities and growth opportunities? I’ve been with the company for two years, have had strong performance reviews, and recently completed a course in data analysis.”

Why this works:

• More details = better AI response
• Clear objective = AI knows the intent
• Context provided = AI can personalize

Final Tip: Always Review Before Sending

AI-generated drafts are helpful, but always take a moment to review and adjust before sending. A quick review ensures clarity, accuracy, and a personal touch in your communication.