Self-care is essential for everyone. However, many people find it hard to carve out time to dedicate to themselves, especially in today’s busy world. Whether they have children to care for, a time-consuming job, or a large group of friends, it might seem like there’s always something more important than self-care. An excellent way to help your friends kick-start a self-care routine is by giving them some tools to help. Here are 12 self-care gifts everyone will love and can incorporate into their routine.
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Heating Pad
Heating pads are wonderful for relaxing tight or sore muscles or warming your feet before bed. Give your friends a cute heating pad shaped like their favorite animal to help them relax and keep warm during the dark, cold winter months.
Cute Coffee Mugs
Although morning people might relish waking up at 5 or 6 a.m., many people need a steaming cup of coffee before they can start their day. If your friends always begin their day with a kick of caffeine, they’ll love having several cute coffee mugs to choose from. Whether you choose ones with adorable animals or funny jokes, your friends will enjoy drinking their morning brew out of a lighthearted mug.
Bath Salts
When we think of self-care, one of the top images is a foamy, hot bath in a candle-lit bathroom. Give your friends a set of bath salts in calming scents like jasmine, lavender, vanilla, or rose. Include body wash in the same scent to give your friends the full spa experience.
Noise-Canceling Headphones
For friends who love to listen to music but live with other people, headphones are essential. If you can, find a pair with noise-canceling properties, which are fantastic for blocking out distractions or helping people fall asleep in hotels or on planes. Many cell phones no longer have a headphone jack, so make sure you check what type of phone your friend has. You might need to find Bluetooth headphones to ensure they work with your friend’s phone.
Spa Gift Card
A day at the spa is synonymous with pampering. Whether you only visit the sauna and steam room or you get the full experience—including a facial and massage—a spa visit calms and revitalizes. Most spas offer a range of gift card options, meaning you can keep this gift within your budget. If there isn’t a spa near you, find a local masseuse and give your friend the gift of a relaxing afternoon.
Self-Massager
Although massages from an expert are best for seriously sore muscles, a self-massager can help get small kinks out or kick a home spa day up a notch. There are many self-massagers available, from small, spiky massage balls you roll across your sore muscles to electric, heated back massagers that rub and pound your lower back. For friends who are on their feet all day, consider giving a foot massager. Servers, retail workers, healthcare workers, and construction workers will appreciate this self-care gift at the end of a long day.
Head Scratcher
A head scratch from a loved one is a relaxing experience, which isn’t quite the same when you scratch your own head. While there are many head scratchers available, the simplest type is a manual metal device that you move up and down on your head for the full-head scratching experience.
Headspace Subscription
Meditation and mindfulness are fantastic forms of self-care; however, many people don’t know where to start. There are several apps and podcasts with guided mindfulness sessions available, but Headspace is the most popular.
Headspace offers a year-long course that teaches you mindfulness, slowly increasing the time and complexity. While the year-long course is a fantastic gift, you can also give them a month subscription to get started. Headspace plus also offers other perks, including sleep and focus meditations.
Yoga Studio Subscription
Many people feel intimidated by the thought of going to a yoga studio in person, especially if they’ve never done yoga before or worry they aren’t good enough. A fantastic way to get into yoga is by signing up for an online yoga studio subscription.
While some yoga studios have online classes, Gaiam Yoga Studio is an excellent option as well. By paying a small yearly fee, you have several classes available in an app for download. They offer beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes, with a wide variety of focuses. Whether your friend wants to improve their flexibility, build core strength, stretch after running, or reduce back pain, there’s a class for it. They also offer different class lengths, ranging from 10 minutes to 90 minutes. Your friends will love this yoga app’s flexibility and ease.
Candles
Candles can help create a relaxing mood and stimulate the senses. Choose your candle scents wisely. Some scents are best for encouraging relaxation, like lavender, while others are better for helping people focus—like lemon. Consider giving multiple candles for different needs, so your friends always have a lovely smelling home. Choose one with a motivational message so your friend or loved one also feels empowered.
Soft Blanket
Everyone loves being warm, and a snuggly, fuzzy blanket paired with a mug of hot chocolate and Netflix binge can make any evening better. Choose a blanket with inspirational sayings, cute animals, or your friend’s favorite fandom. Ensure the blanket is machine-washable and can go in the dryer.
e-Reader
If your friends are always on the go, they might have moved to reading on their phone instead of toting around their dog-eared novels. However, reading on small phone screens isn’t as nice and, at nighttime, the blue light can interfere with your sleep patterns.
For book lovers, an e-Reader is essential and can help your friends practice self-care even when traveling for work. Escaping into a fantasy world or a murder mystery is a fantastic way to distract your brain from any real-life problems and give you a break from stress.
Help Your Friends Discover Self-Care
With these 12 gift suggestions, you can help your friends and family start and stick to a self-care routine. Self-care is essential for everyone, even more so in stressful times or during life changes such as starting college, becoming a parent, starting a new job, or moving to a new home.
To make your gift more personal, send along a beautiful handwritten card expressing the importance of self-care and relaxation.