The last couple of years have been incredibly stressful for all of us, and many of us are struggling with higher levels of stress than ever before. If you know one of your friends has been having a difficult time, it can be hard to know what to do to help. Sometimes, it’s enough to just let them know you’re there and ready to listen, and a thoughtful gift to help them relax can be a great way to do this. Of course, if your own stress levels are high, there’s nothing to stop you from buying these gifts for yourself!
Vouchers For Some Pampering
When we’re stressed, one of the things that often falls by the wayside is taking care of ourselves. If you know your friend hasn’t had much time to themselves to unwind lately, gift them that time with some vouchers for a pampering session. You could buy a general voucher for a spa or beautician so they can choose a treatment, or treat them to a manicure, an Asiatic Thai Massage, a visit to the sauna, or anything else you think they might find relaxing.
If you have a bit more budget, why not book a special spa day for the two of you? You can both get pampered, spend some time together, and maybe have some time to talk about whatever is causing the stress.
At-Home Pampering
If you’re on a tighter budget, you can still gift some pampering, without the expense of professional treatments. You could gather some supplies together for some at-home pampering, such as face masks, rich moisturizers, nail varnishes, and other fun things. Drop them off and leave your friend to enjoy a pampering evening to themselves, or go over with a bottle of wine and have a spa night together. Like the spa day, this is also an opportunity to talk and enjoy each other’s company, as well as relax and enjoy some pampering.
Sleep Help
Stress can make it very hard to get a restful night’s sleep, which can be one of the worst side effects. If you know your friend has been having a hard time getting to sleep at night or isn’t getting restful sleep, then you could choose a gift on this theme to help them.
If you know their size, you could gift them some comfortable, cozy pajamas. Choose cotton or linen, as these breathe and are comfortable to wear at night. Try gifting them a comfortable eye mask, or even a sleep mask with built-in headphones so they can listen to white noise, guided mediation, or other relaxing sounds while they’re trying to drop off to sleep. Pillow sprays are also good gifts, which can be spritzed onto the pillow to give off a relaxing scent to encourage relaxation and sleep.
Your Time
What is causing your friend to be so stressed? Are they struggling with their schedule? Perhaps they have a demanding work schedule and are struggling to juggle this with the demands of family and home. If you know this is the problem, then the most precious gift you could give is your time.
Offer to babysit so she can have a date night with her husband, or an evening to spend unwinding, without having to be Mom. Drop off some meals she can put in the freezer and pull out on the busiest days. Ask if you can help tackle house tasks, like Spring cleaning, DIY, or gardening. This kind of help can be a practical way to tackle whatever might be causing the stress.
Is her job getting her down? Offer to look over her resume for her to help her apply for a new job, or offer to introduce her to the hiring manager at your company.
Make some time to see her, such as taking her out for coffee or lunch, and let her know that you’re ready to be a listening ear. Even if you can’t help, having someone to talk to can be a huge help.
You don’t need to spend a lot, or even any, money to gift your friend something that will show her that somebody cares and wants to help. Take the time to find out what is making her so stressed out, and see what you can do to help, whether it’s practical help like babysitting or looking over her resume, a fun thing to do together like a spa night at home, or a thoughtful gift to help her sleep or relax, like pillow sprays or massage vouchers.
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
