Don’t burn it down.

I’ve never really bought into the “wait 24 hours before you send an email” advice—and honestly, that has occasionally led me to fire off an angry message that landed the wrong way.

At the same time, I do think there’s a good reason people don’t want to wait: sometimes you need to resolve something quickly, and responding promptly can show you’re on top of the situation.

So here’s what I’ve started doing to get the best of both worlds—moving fast without letting my emotions drive the tone.

First, I write the angry email. I get it all out. No filter. Honestly? It’s good for the soul.

Then I copy and paste that email into my favorite AI platform and use a prompt like this:

“Rewrite this email to keep the core message, but make it empathetic, conciliatory, and solution-focused.”

What comes back usually keeps the substance of what I’m trying to say, but removes the heat. And that matters—because an email written in an empathetic tone makes it easier for everyone to stay in problem-solving mode. It also saves you from having to clean up the mess that can come from sending an emotional response.

Question for readers: When you’re upset and need to respond quickly, what helps you communicate the truth without lighting the whole situation on fire ?