Your Guide To Gifting With Intention

It’s not always easy to admit, but holiday gift giving can sometimes feel like a downright chore. Let’s be honest, it can seem like there’s never enough time to check off everyone on your list, and you’re left scrambling to find just the right gift for just the right person, often feeling like you’ve settled on something that’s not as meaningful as you’d like. Sometimes gifting can equal just more stuff piling up, instead of the thoughtful gifting that we truly crave. We always want the gifts we give to come from the heart, as a gesture of love, and never to feel rushed, or worse, transactional.

Let’s take a stand together! Let’s fill our gifting with intention once again. It just takes a little effort and a shift in perspective! Next time you find yourself out searching for a holiday gift, take a moment to set a clear intention and reconnect to the generosity, love, and thoughtfulness that’s at the heart of it all. Of course, there’s no pressure to make every gift the most meaningful and perfect thing. After all we’re all just doing our best! Take a second and examine your values; what types of gifts do you enjoy giving? What message do you want to send? Think about your personality and express yourself through your gifts. Ask yourself, am I gifting out of obligation? Is this a gift that only I could give this person? Am I truly giving with intention?

These Helpful Tips Will Get You There:

1.) Gift Experiences

It might sound like a bit of a trope, but it’s true! You might have the perfect “thing” in mind, and if you do, that’s great! But if you find yourself wracking your brain for a gift idea, why not give them the gift of a time they’ll never forget! The options are endless, and you might find that you can give a more memorable gift for less money! If you’re worried that the giftee might not take advantage of the experience, make it an experience with you and set a specific date perhaps. Remember, a wonderful memory can last a lifetime! Wouldn’t that be the perfect gift?

2.) Secondhand Options

Secondhand can be a great option when you want to go retro, or if you have something practical in mind. By buying secondhand, you’re actually reducing your environmental footprint; plus, a lot of times you can find higher-quality items for the same price as a new lower-quality item, or even less! Also, secondhand is often the only way to get your hands on certain specialty or nostalgic items, such as: antique furniture or decorations, early editions of books, vinyl albums, or even replacements for childhood toys. Imagine how powerful that could be! Vintage jewelry can also be a treat for someone special in your life. You never know what hidden treasures you may uncover!

3.) Shop Local Small Businesses

Shopping with local small businesses has lots of auxiliary benefits. Yes, the price is going to be a little higher than the one you might get from certain online megaretailers, and “fast-fashion”, but by keeping it local, you’re actually reducing carbon emissions that come from transportation of goods and putting money back into your home community where it can do some real good. Not only does this help improve the local economy, but businesses paying local taxes contribute to improved infrastructure, emergency services, and even playgrounds. Plus, most of us would probably see our money going towards growing businesses and creating jobs at home, rather than lining the pockets of billionaires, so keep your spending local where you can so that it can have a real impact!

4.) Use Recyclable Or Reusable Gift Wrap

While they might be aesthetic, we should all avoid the shiny, glittery, and metallic wrapping papers because they are in no way recyclable. Gift bags or cloth wrappings make great choices, since they can be reused later by the recipient—they’re the gift that keeps on giving! Repurposing old newspaper is also a great choice, since it would otherwise be thrown away; similarly, an old map, atlas, or picture book can make for a visually interesting wrap. And of course, don’t forget about the old standby of brown paper tied with a string, whether shopping bags or craft paper! These retain a natural color, and so have been subjected to less chemical treatment than other papers. Besides, depending upon the recipient, this has a classic, understated look that might not go unappreciated.

5.) Shop Brands That Give Back

Nowadays, there are lots of brands that give back, which is great! Whether this comes in the form of donating to charity, cleaning up trash, planting trees, or some other method of making an impact, companies these days are often involved in some method of paying it forward. While any gift can be special, giving something that has greater meaning, for the giver, the receiver, and our global community, can really make a difference. For instance, Shakti Warrior is dedicated to being eco-friendly and empowering women! We take your old yoga mats and give you 10% OFF a new one! We also turn those old mats into flip flops and distribute them to the underprivileged, a real Win-Win!

Wherever and however, you choose to shop this holiday season, as long as it comes from the heart, you’ve already succeeded!