By Martha Tobin
This holiday season many people are opting to purchase less ‘stuff’ and instead giving more intentional gifts in the form of experiences.
Adding more material possessions means having to find a place for this ‘stuff’ to live in a home and this can often lead to feelings of overwhelm and stress.
According to a number of studies, giving an ‘experience’ as a gift creates lasting memories, strengthens relationships and promotes personal growth.
5 experiential gift recommendations (for yourself or for someone else):
- Give the gift of self-care (i.e. art class, organizing & decluttering session)
- Purchase a gift certificate from a local business (i.e. restaurant)
- Plan an shared outing (i.e. museum or art gallery)
- Buy tickets to an event (i.e. play or musical performance)
- Consider a tour in your city (i.e haunted tour, tasting tour)
An experience offers an escape from day-to-day routines, broadens skills and can even inspire a life-change. All of which will always be a more memorable gift than having to find a place to store more ‘stuff’ in a home.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou)