Nikitha
Festival time! Secret Santa! Christmas tree filled with gifts! The excitement is in the air!
“What gift do you want?”
“I have a secret gift for you.”
Well, well!
Why do we gift?
Gifts are a token of appreciation, interest, love you have for the receiver. You are sending signals on how much the other person means to you. Psychologists say that it is one of the ways to boost happiness. But sometimes we gift just for namesake. Does that still bring happiness?
Things to remember while gifting:
DO:
Handmade gifts:
You might be rich enough to buy expensive gifts. But if someone is close to you, give a handmade gift. It makes the receiver feel more loved.
Letters as gifts:
When you are close to someone, always combine the material gift with a note. I have sent notes to multiple people telling how much they mean to me. I write about the memories I cherished with them. I remind them how beautiful they made me feel. The bond just gets stronger with notes. And happiness grows exponentially
Thoughtful gifts:
Don’t wait till the occasion comes and then start thinking about the gift. Make a mental note of what your loved ones require. Or remember when they tell you that about the one thing they always wanted to buy but could not so far. Surprise them with that on the D-day.
Gift Fund:
Every month when you get a paycheck, keep some money aside and call it as gift fund. When you need to gift something big, it does not feel a pinch in your pocket. And also you will be spending within your budget this way.
A gift every time you meet:
There might be some friend or relative of you are catching up after a long time. Make sure that you take something along with you. You will feel happy looking at their priceless expression. They feel a sense of gratification for you remember their taste so well.
Creative gifts:
Make the gift exciting. For my sister’s sixteenth birthday, I made her play treasure hunt throughout the day for her to receive her 16 gifts on 16thbirthday. The gifts were not expensive ones. They were small ones, but the way I made them creative made her day special.
Useful gifts:
The other day when I walked into a gift shop, I saw a small girl asking the shopkeeper to show her some useful gifts. You can always give a showpiece if the receiver is fond of them. Otherwise, stick to only the gifts which others might find them useful.
Don’t
Gift for the sake of gifting:
You might have had a gifting tradition in the family, so you reluctantly go and gift. It is a wrong approach as it only makes you unhappy. Instead, gift to only those whom you want to gift.
Spend beyond your capacity:
Gifting is not something you do out of society’s pressure. So don’t take loans to gift. There are gifts out there in everyone’s budget.
Redundant gift:
Before gifting find a way to check if the receiver already owns something of that sort or not.
Gift one time consumable:
Avoid gifting only chocolates or sweets. People eat them and forget it. Give something which is memorable.
Take people for granted:
Don’t leave out anyone in the circle of friends or relatives from giving a gift. Manage your budget well and buy something for everyone. Make a list of all people if forgetting people is your problem.
Gift people who just check the price:
Some people treat you based on the price of the gift you give them. They don’t deserve a gift. Don’t waste your time and emotions on people of that sort.
Happy Gifting!