Everyone’s been there – a friend or loved one is having a hard time, or grieving, or recovering after an illness or injury, and you don’t know what to do to help them. It can be hard and you may find yourself feeling incredibly helpless. However, it may sound like a cliche, but the best thing you can do is to be there for your friend. It doesn’t hurt that that’s also priceless. Being the person that your friend can go to to talk, or not talk, can make the world of a difference. So bear that in mind before you read these gift ideas!
So, now that’s out of the way, let’s go into the gifts that might make a friend in need smile, or at least make them feel a little bit better.
There’s a reason that people have been gifting flowers to each other for centuries. They breathe freshness and new life into a room and are a sure-fire way of making a friend smile. It doesn’t hurt that with many companies, you can send flowers to someone the very next day! If you need a hand choosing, think of your friend’s favorite color or season, and choose a bouquet that you think suits them the most. And don’t forget to write a note, or they might not know who’s sent them.
It may sound silly, but giving someone a subscription to a meditation or mindfulness app is really giving them the gift of calm. By introducing mindfulness and meditation to their life, they can find solace and quiet within themselves and will be able to handle stressors much better. So, for a small cost from you, they can enjoy hours of help. Choose from apps such as Calm or HeadSpace, as these options offer gift subscriptions.
If your friend is really struggling, you can buy them the gift of a massage. This calming, enriching act of luxury can really help boost someone’s mood and make them feel loved and cherished. If your friend is unwell or recovering, they can book the massage for a couple of weeks in the future, so they have something to look forward to.
When you’re sad or ill, the books can be the best escapism imagined. There’s a whole world of literature or your friend to explore and disappear into. So, take your time to browse the bookshelves of your local bookshop (or skip over to Amazon) to explore what your friend might like. It can help to take a look at what she’s already read or to consult the charts to see the most popular books at the moment. And it doesn’t have to be fiction! Non-fiction can be great for expanding your mind whilst not being taxing on emotions.
These can really help people get through tough times. You can get different affirmation cards for different categories, say if you are a new mum you can get parenting-specific ones, or more general cards that just encourage a bit more self-love and positivity. While it may take your friend a little bit of time to come round to them, just the act of getting a card out each day and reading it can make a big difference. By helping to change their perspective, you could be a big help to your friend with these cards.
No one doesn’t like a candle as a gift. Candles light up the dark, and for many that symbol can be very powerful. You can choose candles with specific essential oils to help lift and brighten people’s moods, so look out for those. Or if not, choose a candle that you know your friend will love, and write a note to tell them that when they feel lonely they can light the candle and call you, and you will be there to help.
A gift of a plant is also the gift of new life. Plants are real, living things that may encourage your friend to feel a bit more positively. Additionally, plants improve the air quality of a room, so if your friend is spending lots of time at home, they will not only brighten up the place, but they’ll also make the room better for them to be in.
This won’t be right for everyone, but if the friend you’re worried about has to spend a lot of time at home or is struggling with being a new mum, the gift of a new TV subscription can be great. You’re giving them access to exciting stories and entertainment to fill their days with, and hopefully, you’ll bring them some joy in the process. You can choose from Netflix, Amazon, or Disney+ as a starter pack. You can also offer to come over and watch with your friend if they’re feeling a little lonely!
If you’re really stuck for what to choose, then you can put together a care package full of little things that will make your friend smile. It doesn’t have to be a hand-woven luxury basket. Instead, it can be a small box filled with little, nice things. For example, if your friend likes bath you could include bath bombs, bath oils, soaps, or a bath robe. Or if your friend likes cooking (or eating) you can fill it with bits of food, sweets, and ingredients that they like. Truly, there are so many opportunities and it can really show a friend how well you know them and how much you cherish them.
Hopefully, this list has given you some inspiration of what to watch with your friend. But remember: as long as you can be there to talk with, laugh with and share a hug with, then that’s the best thing you can do. Love is free, so make sure to make that person feel cared for, comforted and cherished with your words and your actions first, and gifts second.