Whether it’s during the winter holidays, birthdays, the end of the school year, or anything in between, it seems like there’s always a gift-giving holiday on the horizon. And for those who aren’t particularly gifted at giving gifts, these occasions often bring along with them stress and anxiety as you try to find the right present. But luckily, there are a few things you can do that can make you much better at giving gifts than you likely are currently.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for becoming better at giving gifts.
Give Something Practical
Although you might want to give someone a luxurious gift to commemorate whatever you’re celebrating, Sunny Sea Gold, a contributor to Scientific American, shares that giving simple, practical gifts will usually be better received by whoever you’re giving the gift to.
While you might like the idea of spending a certain amount of money on a gift or feel like the gift is only really worthwhile if you spent days and days planning it, what the recipient really wants is a gift that they can use, preferably with repeat value. So even if it’s not the flashiest gift or the most expensive, if you know the person will appreciate having this gift in their life, it will likely be a very successful gift.
Go With What You Know
If a practical gift isn’t what you’re wanting to give, Tiffanie Wen, a contributor to the BBC, shares that you should try to choose a gift to give based off of a shared interest that you have with whomever you’re giving the gift to.
In general, people are much better at choosing gifts for themselves than for picking a gift for others. So if you and the recipient have something in common—like a love of clothing or the great outdoors—that you can pool your knowledge from, imagining that you were to be getting this gift, there’s a good chance that you’ll be getting them a gift that they’ll love.
Take The Work Out Of It
The point of giving someone a gift is to show them that you know them and appreciate them in a way that makes their life easier or more enjoyable. Knowing this, Chelsea Faulkner, a contributor to HGTV.com, shares that if you’re going to give a gift that requires some kind of assembly, make sure you put the gift together before you give it to someone. The last thing anyone wants to get as a gift is another chore or line of their to-do list.
If you’re wanting to get better at giving gifts to others, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do just that.
