As the year-end holidays approach, like many of you, I’m reflecting on gift-giving and celebration. I’m brainstorming and striving to get my gifts just right, and not give up out of frustration or lack of confidence that I found just the right gift. As I ponder, I wonder why we give gifts in the first place and how we might all do things a bit differently this year…
What is a gift?
A gift can be defined as something material or immaterial given voluntarily without payment in return. Usually, gifts are to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance. The year-end holidays are a traditional time to give gifts based on Christian roots, going back as far as the nativity, which we have incorporated into modern society — at work and at home.
Why do we give?
Gift-giving goes back almost to the dawn of humanity serving the specific evolutionary purpose of helping people form connections and build communities. Research into the psychology of gift-giving suggests there are two goals we look to achieve when giving someone a gift.
Firstly, to make the recipient happy.
The psychology behind gift-giving lies in a foundation of kindness and caring. The act of showing kindness has an incredible effect on your physical and mental health.
According to the Science of Kindness, expressing kindness to others — for example through gift-giving — can increase energy, lifespan, feelings of love and happiness, and even help relieve pain and lower blood pressure.
Further research suggests that gift-giving leads to increased activity in the brain’s pleasure and reward center – just as much as if you were the recipient of the said gesture.
Secondly, to strengthen the relationship between the giver and the recipient.
The act of gift-giving sparks a connection between you and the recipient. No matter who receives the gift, your gesture shows you recognize and value them as a part of your world. Gift-giving helps form strong bonds and build lasting relationships by enhancing this sense of connection.
Research has shown that recipients of experiential gifts, such as event tickets, restaurant vouchers, trips, or experiences, showed a stronger improvement in relationship strength than recipients of material gifts.
Additionally, the researchers noted that experiential gifts can have a connecting effect even if the giver and the receiver are not sharing the experience.
It’s good for you!
Whether experiential or material, giving gifts has social, emotional, and even health benefits. Gifting triggers your body to release serotonin and dopamine, lowering anxiety, stress, and blood pressure. From a social point of view, there are even more reasons for gift-giving:
- Building trust
- Forging relationships
- Building meaningful connections
- Enhancing reputation
- Evoking gratitude
Don’t Give Up!
If you are looking for the perfect gift for a loved one, colleague, or your staff, — don’t give up! Consider giving the lifetime experience of well-being this year because a gift that promotes well-being will have an impact for years to come.
Top 7 Ideas:
- A Healthy Cooking Class: Nutrition is a huge part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle; learning to cook is one of the best experiences to achieve that.
- An Outing: A hike, a bike ride, or an adventure together can allow you to spend quality time together while discovering nature and bonding.
- A Massage: There are health benefits of massage showing that feel-good hormones like dopamine increase and stress hormones decrease by over 30% following a massage.
- Fitness or Dance: Anything that gets the body moving promotes well-being! Try a gym membership, a private coach, a class, or even a subscription to an online fitness or dance app.
- A Facial: Taking care of your skin is a way to take care of yourself. Gifting a facial will allow your gift-ee to book some time to check in with themselves and feel the restorative benefits of fresh skin.
- Private meditation session. Meditation has an impressive list of benefits, from lessening stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms to being a natural remedy to reduce blood pressure. A private experience with a meditation pro can help master a regular meditation routine.
- A Whealthness VIP Gift Voucher: For someone who would love the opportunity to finally put themselves first, instead of their job, stuff, or other people. An exclusive 90-minute coaching session with me, an expert coach and professional Inspirer who understands their challenges. Learn more about this life-changing experience HERE.
Don’t forget yourself!
Self-care may seem like a trendy term, but nothing could be more timeless or important than taking care of your own mental and physical health. We live in a culture that often encourages selflessness, doing for others but not ourselves. It’s important to remember that if you don’t take care of yourself, you’re not going to have the energy to do anything for or with other people.
