Relaxation to Give Away: Anti-Stress Gifts for Everyone

The holiday season, meant to be a time of reflection and joy, often turns into the most stressful time of the year for many. The combination of time pressure, financial strain, and high expectations leaves most people feeling overwhelmed. That’s why it’s even more important to consciously create moments of calm. Relaxation not only boosts mental health but also strengthens the immune system. It’s a valuable gift we can give ourselves and others during the often-hectic holiday season.

We’ve put together creative and surprising ideas for anti-stress gifts to suit every budget.

DIY Gifts for Relaxation

DIY wellness gifts are not only personal but are also typically simple and affordable. Plus, you can customize them however you like. For example, if you know the recipient loves lavender or has a favorite color, you can incorporate that into the gift. Bonus: making these gifts might even help you relax too. Win-win, right?

Body Oil with Flowers: A homemade body oil not only relaxes but also keeps the skin soft and supple. Jojoba oil is a universal, fast-absorbing option as it closely resembles our skin’s structure. Simply fill a dropper bottle with the oil and dried flowers like rose, lavender, or chamomile, and voilà! You have a beautifully scented gift.
DIY Scented Candle: Making scented candles is surprisingly easy. All you need is a jar, a wick, rapeseed wax, a melting bowl, a clip, and a few essential oils. Relaxing scents include lavender, cedarwood, neroli, orange, or rose. Need inspiration? Check out our Pinterest board.
Relaxing Tea Mix: Combine dried herbs and flowers, mix them together, and pack them into a pretty jar or small tea bags. My current favorite blend includes lemon verbena, chamomile flowers, rose petals, lavender blossoms, and orange blossoms.

Relaxing Gift Ideas for Women & Men

Me-time is often the first thing to disappear from the schedules of both women and men. Yet, it’s precisely what makes us more resilient, productive, joyful, and creative. Doing something just for ourselves sounds like the perfect anti-stress gift, doesn’t it?

Luxury Skincare Set: A high-quality skincare ritual is like a daily wellness moment. Our SAVOIR Starter Set transports the senses to the south of France with its scents of orange, neroli, cedarwood, and lemon verbena - pure relaxation!
Subscription to a Meditation or Mindfulness App: Most people won’t treat themselves to an app that actively helps them reduce stress through meditation, mindfulness exercises, or journaling. I’m a big fan of Headspace and 7Mind - they’re manageable even with a packed schedule and a great way to master daily challenges.
Wellness Experience Gift: Sometimes, people need a gentle nudge to treat themselves. There are wonderful options these days, like barber treatments for men with beards or luxurious skincare treatments for stressed-out skin.

Parents Need Relaxation More Than Ever

Parents often live in a constant state of stress, especially during the holiday season. Between buying gifts, balancing work and family, decorating the house, attending holiday parties, secret Santa exchanges, and baking cookies, the list seems endless. Relaxation is likely the last thing they associate with the holiday season - but it should be! Here are a few thoughtful ideas:

Bath Ritual Box: A bath is like a mini spa experience, and with a little upgrade, it can be even more relaxing. Put together a box or basket filled with bath essentials such as a nourishing bath oil, a book or podcast recommendation, a bath pillow, and a scented candle.
Aroma Diffuser with Essential Oils: Aroma diffusers create a calming atmosphere at home and can have a direct impact on mood. Scents like lavender, bergamot, or orange can help relax the body and mind - and they’re kid-friendly too.
Quality Time: A night out, a spa day, or dinner at a nice restaurant - gift me-time or we-time as an all-inclusive package. Take care of everything from reservations and childcare to transportation and bookings. The goal is for the recipient to simply enjoy without having to worry about a thing.

Gifts for Relaxed Friends

With relaxation-focused gifts, you can show your loved ones that you see and care about them. It’s not about the size of the gift but the gesture itself.

Shared Pedicure: Sitting side by side in massage chairs, chatting, maybe enjoying a glass of crémant or a cup of delicious tea while getting a pedicure - an hour of “wellness with friends” can be incredibly rejuvenating and makes for an easy yet thoughtful gift.
Cookbook and Dinner: Do you enjoy cooking together? A new cookbook you can try out together is the perfect mix of gift and quality time. You could even gather all the ingredients and pack them into a basket. Who knows, you might end up inviting more friends over for a shared meal!
Stress Relief Set: A personalized gift set filled with little treats for relaxation can hold plenty of surprises. The act of unwrapping itself is a lot of fun! A set of small items promoting relaxation is personal and works wonderfully as a group gift too.

With carefully chosen anti-stress gifts, Christmas can slowly return to being a feast for the senses instead of a frenzy. In this spirit, we wish you joy in gifting relaxation, well-being, and, most importantly, precious moments.

P.S. One note I’d like to add: If you have someone in mind for an anti-stress gift and feel like it’s something they’d enjoy - go for it! Whether it’s labeled for men, women, friends, fathers, or mothers, these categories are just for easy reading and shouldn’t limit you. Everyone has their own unique preferences, and you’re the best judge of what your loved ones would appreciate.