Tips In Choosing A Gift For Your Loved Ones

We all love receiving gifts for it gives us a feeling of joy and appreciation. At the same way, when we offer something as a gift to the people we love, we also express the feelings of love, gratitude, and acknowledgement of each other. A gift can mean a lot to both the giver and receiver; that’s why it should be meaningful. It doesn’t need to be expensive. As the famous saying goes, “it’s the thought that counts.”

Benefits of Giving

Aside from the fact that a gift can be a way to show your loved ones that they are remembered, there are other benefits that giving can bring to a person.

#1 Giving a gift can bring us happiness. An act of kindness can make people happy. A study headed by Prof. Michael Norton in Harvard Business School found out that giving gifts and money to someone else increase the person’s happiness. There’s a certain feeling of contentment in the heart of the one who provides and prepares the present.

#2 Giving builds cooperation and strengthens the social connection. When you give to others, your generosity will be likely rewarded in some other ways. You can receive that reward either from the person whom you give or from someone else who appreciated your kindness.

Giving effectively promotes a sense of cooperation and trust. In addition, when you give a gift personally, it helps in improving more positive social interactions.

#3 Giving promotes better health. Giving increases health benefits in people who are suffering from chronic illnesses. Several studies such as the one conducted by Stephanie Brown from the University of Michigan reveal that people who offer help and give things to others are more likely to have a lower risk of dying.

#4 Giving supports being grateful. As mentioned earlier, giving and receiving gifts evoke the feelings of being thankful. Gratitude is found to be very important in creating happiness, health, and better interaction with others. When people have gratitude in their hearts, they can be more optimistic, motivated, and feel better with their lives.

#5 Giving is inspiring and contagious. When we give, we are creating a ripple effect of kindness and generosity. When people share and give, they are also inspiring other individuals to behave with kindness. Such a practice can spread love and inspiration with other people.

Tips in Choosing a Gift for your Loved Ones

In choosing the best gift that you can give to your loved ones, there are various tips that you can consider:

#1 Prepare a list of all things that your loved ones will be interested with. This is somewhat like a brainstorming. Do not worry about having a long list of the things they would love to receive. Consider their hobbies, their interests, and those items that you think will make them happy. Review the list with your fresh ideas and choose the best ones for them. Some people choose a gift that is thoughtful and personal. You can think of a book, a personal item, a watch, or something that will remind the person how worthy he/ she is.

#2 Choose a gift that will give your loved one experience. There are types of gifts that become extra meaningful such as a ticket for a movie, a date to a beautiful place, a gift to a restaurant, and more.  Oftentimes, when it comes to gifts, quality is more important than quantity. The happiness you can see in the eyes of your loved ones will be the best reward you can give the people you love the most.

#3 Ask yourself what your loved ones need, not just what they want. Some people prefer to have things that will be beneficial to them. You need to think broader so you’ll have an idea of what gift you can give to help the person. For instance, if your loved one is a professional, then a watch can be helpful as it is a necessity either for personal or work. Or, you can also think of a survival kit to be given to someone who loves camping and going out. Various gift ideas can be helpful in making their lives easier. They will definitely love the gift because it can make their lives run more efficiently.

#4 Be observant with their wishlist. Some of your loved ones may already have a wishlist on online shopping websites or the shopping store near you. If you can take a look at it, that would be helpful as well. Of course, you don’t have to ask them as that may spoil the ‘surprise’ factor. They will be delighted if you can give what they have wished for a long time. Check out their Facebook wall, or the feeds on their social media sites. They may have posted or shared some items that interest them so much.

#5 Give them something fun and will make them laugh. Be creative and have fun with your gift. Add a sense of humour to make them laugh. It’s incredible to hear and see how they laugh and smile upon opening the gift. Just make sure this will not be offensive to that person.

#6 Include a bit of something significant about yourself. A personalized gift made with effort can be highly appreciated. If you’re an artistic person, you can create a piece of art or build a craft that can mesmerize them. Write a song about friendship or love to express your bond with them.

#7 Consider the price of the gift. If you already have chosen an item that you want to give to someone, check its price among various stores. As mentioned before, a gift doesn’t need to be very expensive. You can compare prices to get the best value of your purchase. You can still be practical and get the best gift for your loved one.

#8 Include a note with the present. Adding a special note to your gift will help enrich the essence and value of the gift. For sure, this will add smiles to the face of the recipient.

Gift-giving is a heart-warming and satisfying way to show the people you love that you truly care about them. Take some time and effort to think of what will be the best gift to give. Get a personalized gift if possible, or something that you know will help, inspire, and satisfy the person.