Someone we know went in for a small procedure a few months back, and half the office wanted to send something over. Everyone agreed on flowers within about thirty seconds. Then came the hard part: what do you actually write on the card? Three people typed "get well soon" and stared at the screen for a full minute, because apparently that's where the easy part ends.

We put together a lot of get well gifts here at Pinewraps, and the note that goes with it is the part people stress about most. It's a strange kind of pressure: you want to sound caring without sounding dramatic, warm without sounding like you're reading off a card aisle. So we pulled together the messages that actually land, organised by who you're writing to, plus a few thoughts on the gift itself, since UAE-wide the two usually go together anyway.

Why "get well soon" is harder to write than it looks

Part of the problem is that we don't send these often enough to have a formula ready. A birthday message, you've written fifty of those. A get well card comes up rarely, and usually on short notice: someone mentions their colleague is off after surgery, or a friend texts that they've been in bed with the flu for four days, and you want to respond within the hour, not draft something over a week.

The other issue is tone. Too breezy and it can read like you're not taking it seriously. Too heavy and you risk making someone feel worse about being unwell, especially if it's something minor like a cold or a dental procedure. The safest rule we've found: match the message to how serious the situation actually is, and when in doubt, keep it short and sincere rather than clever.

Short, simple messages that work for almost anyone

If you're short on time or don't know the person that well, these are safe, warm, and don't try too hard:

"Thinking of you and hoping you feel better every day this week." "Sending you rest, comfort, and good energy. Get well soon." "Take all the time you need, we've got things covered here." "Wishing you a quick and easy recovery." "Sending you a little sunshine to speed things along."

These work because they don't assume anything about how serious the illness is, they don't ask questions, and they give the person permission to rest without guilt. That last part matters more than people think, a lot of get well messages accidentally put pressure on the person to reply or explain themselves, which is the opposite of what you want.

For close family and your partner

With people you're close to, you can afford to be specific and a little more tender. Generic lines feel oddly distant when it's your mum or your husband on the other end.

Something like "I hate seeing you like this, let me take care of everything until you're back on your feet" says a lot more than "get well soon" ever could. Or if you want to add a bit of home comfort: "Missing your laugh around the house. Rest up, I'll bring soup." For a partner recovering from something more involved, we've seen notes as simple as "I'm right here, however long this takes" do more good than an entire paragraph.

If there are kids involved, say it's a parent recovering while their children are still small, a line like "Rest now, we've got the little ones covered" tends to mean more than any flowers could on their own, because it answers the actual worry.

For friends

Friendships usually allow for a bit more personality in the message, and honestly, a little humour is often welcome here, as long as you know the illness isn't serious.

Lighter options: "You're allowed to binge whatever show you want and blame the doctor's orders" or "Officially giving you permission to do absolutely nothing." If the friendship runs a bit sarcastic, something like "This is your sign to finally rest, since apparently getting sick was the only way to slow you down" usually gets a laugh, not offence, but only send that if you're confident it'll land that way with this particular friend.

For something warmer without the joke: "Thinking of you constantly. Text me the second you're up for visitors (or snacks, or both)."

For colleagues, clients, and anyone in a work relationship

This is where most people get stuck, because "get well soon, boss" doesn't sit right and neither does something too casual. Professional get well messages work best when they're warm but not overly personal, and when they make clear there's no pressure to check in on work.

A few that strike the right note: "Wishing you a smooth and speedy recovery: take all the time you need, we've got things handled" or "Thinking of you and hoping you're back to full strength soon. No rush at all." For a client or a more formal relationship, keep it simple: "We were sorry to hear you're unwell. Wishing you a full and quick recovery."

One thing we'd genuinely avoid in a work context: any mention of workload, deadlines, or "hope you're back soon, we need you" type phrasing, even as a joke. It reads as pressure no matter how it's meant, and in a lot of UAE offices where teams are close-knit, people remember that kind of note.

A note on cultural sensitivity in the UAE

The UAE brings together people from a huge range of backgrounds, and get well messages that work perfectly in one culture can land oddly in another. A few things we've learned from years of writing cards for customers across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and beyond: keep religious references optional rather than assumed, something like "sending prayers and good wishes" works broadly, but it's worth knowing the person before leading with it. Avoid asking directly what's wrong; let them share if they want to. And don't downplay a serious diagnosis with humour, even if you know the person well enough to joke about smaller things; it's always safer to test the waters with something sincere first.

What not to write, even with good intentions

A few phrases come from a good place but tend to miss: "everything happens for a reason" can feel dismissive to someone genuinely struggling. "At least it's not worse" minimises what they're going through right now. And "let me know if you need anything" is kind, but it puts the effort back on the sick person to ask, better to offer something specific, like "I'm dropping off dinner Thursday, no need to reply."

Also worth avoiding: turning the message into a story about your own past illness. It's tempting to relate, but a card that starts "this reminds me of when I had..." shifts the focus away from them at exactly the moment it should be on them.

Why the gift matters just as much as the words

Here's the thing about a get well card: it almost never travels alone. Most people pair it with something, and what you choose says as much as what you write. Flowers are the classic choice because they do something a text message can't: they sit in the room with someone for days, a small reminder that people are thinking of them every time they look over.

We'd lean toward brighter, gentler colours for a get well gift rather than anything too formal: soft pinks, whites, and greens tend to feel more like comfort than a funeral arrangement might. If you want to add something a little more indulgent, pairing flowers with a cake or a small treat works well too, especially once someone's on the mend and ready for a bit of sweetness. It doesn't need to be complicated: a compact arrangement and a small cake says just as much as a big gesture, sometimes more, because it feels considered rather than showy.

If you're not sure where to start, our Get Well Soon Flowers Collection is built exactly for this: soft, comforting arrangements rather than the more formal bouquets we'd put together for other occasions. For something with a bit more to it, our cake and flower gift sets combine both in one delivery, an easy way to say both "get well" and "I was thinking of you" without overthinking the details. All of it delivers across the UAE, so distance between you and whoever's unwell isn't really a factor.

Putting the message and the gift together

If you're stuck on the full combination, here's a simple approach we'd suggest: write something short and sincere for the card itself, save the humour for a text message you send separately once they're feeling a bit better, not on the card that arrives while they're still unwell. Then let the gift carry the warmth. A small arrangement of hydrangeas or roses with a note that just says "thinking of you, no need to reply" does more than a long paragraph trying to cover every base.

And if you're sending on behalf of a group, an office, a family, a group of friends, keep the card message collective rather than trying to squeeze in ten individual notes. Something like "the whole team is thinking of you and can't wait to have you back, whenever you're ready" covers everyone without turning the card into a group chat printout.

Does it change if they're in hospital or recovering at home?

A little, yes. Hospitals in the UAE are generally strict about what can come into a ward: some don't allow fresh flowers on certain floors, especially in ICU or maternity, so it's worth a quick call to our team or the hospital reception before sending anything perishable. When flowers aren't allowed, a small hamper with a card, or a cake that can be enjoyed once they're discharged, tends to work better. We get this question a lot, and our honest advice is always the same: check with the ward first, then choose the gift, not the other way around.

For someone recovering at home, you've got a lot more freedom. This is where a full arrangement or a cake-and-flower combo really shines, because there's a kitchen counter or a bedside table for it to sit on for the full week rather than a hospital tray with limited space. It's also a nicer moment for family: someone home recovering from a minor surgery or a bad flu often appreciates a small "welcome back to feeling normal" cake once they're eating properly again, even if it arrives a few days after the initial get well message.

Either way, the card matters more than people expect, because it's the part that isn't perishable. The flowers fade in a week, the cake's gone by dessert, but a card with the right words in it tends to get kept on a shelf a while longer than either.

Frequently asked questions

What's a good short get well soon message?

Keep it sincere and low-pressure: "Thinking of you and hoping you feel better soon" or "Sending you rest and good energy, take all the time you need." Short messages actually tend to land better than long ones, because they don't ask anything of the person reading them.

Is it okay to send a funny get well card?

Yes, but only if you're confident the illness is minor and you know the person well. For anything more serious, or for someone you don't know that well, a warm and sincere message is the safer choice.

Should I send flowers or a cake for someone who's unwell?

Either works, and there's no rule that says you have to pick one: flowers give something to look at for days, while a small cake adds a bit of sweetness once someone's ready for it. A lot of people we work with send both together, which is really the idea behind our combo gift sets.

What should I avoid writing in a get well soon message?

Skip anything that minimises what they're going through ("at least it's not worse"), avoid asking directly what's wrong, and be careful with humour unless you're sure it'll land. It's also worth resisting the urge to make it about your own past illness.

Can I send a get well gift across the UAE, not just Dubai?

Yes, flowers, cakes, and hampers all deliver across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, and the rest of the UAE, so you don't need to be nearby to send something thoughtful.

None of this needs to be perfect. The people we've spoken to who've been on the receiving end of a get well card almost never remember the exact wording, they remember that someone thought of them at all. So if you're staring at a blank card right now, pick one of the lines above, add the person's name, and send it. That's really the whole job done.

Ready to send something? Browse our full gift collection or go straight to the Get Well Soon Flowers Collection to get started.

What to Write in a Get Well Soon Message