Around the holidays, it is easy to get swept up in finding the perfect gift for everyone you know. While sometimes it can feel frivolous and unnecessary to buy gifts year after year, the truth is that both the acts of giving and receiving gifts have mental health benefits.

According to The New York Times, while most Americans believe the holidays have become too materialistic, they are also unaware of the many psychological benefits that come from gift-giving: “They have found that giving gifts is a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family and friends. Indeed, psychologists say it is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift.”

For the gift giver, the process of picking out gifts gives another reason to spend time thinking about loved ones, as well as the momentary pleasure in finally finding the perfect gift – not to mention the feeling we get as we watch our loved ones open the gifts we specifically chose for them.

1 of the mistakes some people make around the holidays is associating the issue of spending too much money with the act of giving gifts. While the cost of the gift is not important, buying or making something for someone you love is more important than you might think. “That doesn’t do a service to the relationship,” said Ellen J. Langer, a Harvard psychology professor, said in The New York Times. “If I don’t let you give me a gift, then I’m not encouraging you to think about me and think about things I like. I am preventing you from experiencing the joy of engaging in all those activities. You do people a disservice by not giving them the gift of giving.”

That said, it can sometimes be hard to think of ideas for gifts, and during this COVID-19 lockdown, it’s difficult to get to stores to look for presents. Whether it’s for a friend or family member that already has everything they need, if you got stuck with someone you don’t know for Secret Santa, or even if you don’t know what to add to your own Christmas list, here is a list of fail-safe gifts for any holiday situation. You can find great options for all of these ideas on Amazon.

Reliable gifts for anyone:
Cozy barefoot dreams blanket
Candle
A fun COVID-19 mask
Fuzzy socks
Chocolate/candy/snacks
Coffee/tea mugs

White Elephant:
Desktop boxing
Hook and ring toss shortboard
Tortilla blanket
Bob ross chia pet
Kevin Malone sequin pillow
Finger surfboards

Tech gifts:
Kindle (the basic model is surprisingly cheap – only $89.99 on Amazon)
Instant film camera
Bluetooth speaker (bonus points if it’s waterproof!)
Smartwatch

To ask family for:
Giftcards (so you can have your own fun online shopping)
A restock on any of your favorite products
Winter clothes (or spring clothes if you want to get ahead of the game)
New shoes
Anything in the other categories 🙂

For high school seniors (Anything you can bring to college!):
Coffee maker
Toiletry bag
Luggage
Water heater
Single-person set of dishes
Robe/personal towels
Storage organizers

For mom:
Barefoot dreams blanket
Matching beanie and gloves
Make your own loose-leaf tea kit
Warm sweater for working at home

For dad:
Specialty meat/meal package (for all the forthcoming at-home dinners)
Make your own hot sauce kit
Warm sweater for working at home
Ugg slippers

If you would like to learn more about the importance of gift-giving, visit
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/health/11well.html.