Rushed emails are one of the easiest ways to create unnecessary confusion, embarrassment, or rework, and using delayed or scheduled sending gives you a short buffer after pressing send to catch mistakes, rethink tone, or make sure your message lands at the right moment.
How to do it:
Outlook
Compose email > Options tab > Delay Delivery
Choose a delay of 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, or 120 minutes, or set a specific date and time > Close > Send
Gmail
Compose email > Down arrow next to Send > Schedule send
Select a suggested send time or set a custom date and time, as Gmail supports scheduled sending rather than short delay options > Send
Why it helps
That short delay or scheduled send acts as a safety net, giving you time to correct typos, rethink wording that could be misread, or avoid sending messages outside working hours, helping your emails land more clearly and professionally.
Please note
It isn’t currently possible to delay or schedule messages natively in WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, so once you hit send, the message goes immediately with no built-in buffer to catch mistakes. Also, most other email platforms focus on scheduled sending rather than true send delays. Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail, Proton Mail, and Zoho Mail allow emails to be sent at a chosen future date and time.