With the holidays and Black Friday coming up, here are some ideas to help you get a head start on your holiday shopping list.
With many people still working from home and possibly feeling anxious or frustrated during the pandemic, it’s an opportunity to give the gift of self-care.
From healthy meal subscriptions to aromatherapy sets and home office plants, here are some thoughtful gift ideas for colleagues, friends and loved ones.

The holidays are just around the corner and with Black Friday deals coming up this weekend, you’re likely hoping to get a head start on your holiday shopping list.

Most people you know (adults) will likely be working from home throughout the winter months, especially considering the new rise in coronavirus cases. That, combined with authorities still encouraging people to stay home as much as possible, means it’s likely that most people will be staying indoors and spending some quality time at home for the foreseeable future.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is likely to hit people pretty hard this year as a result of staying indoors and physically distancing from loved ones.

While making your holiday shopping list, you may want to consider giving the gift of self care, especially for those working from home and dealing with unprecedented amounts of stress.

Below are some gift ideas for those in your life that are working from home and are struggling with the effects of isolation, loneliness, and overall fatigue caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Gift Guide for Home Workers: the Wellness Edition

Healthy Meal Subscription or Meal Delivery Service

Sometimes being home all day everyday makes it even harder to find the motivation to want to cook, let alone cook a healthy meal. This is especially true for those who live by themselves.

If you know someone who is working from home but doesn’t really enjoy cooking or has been ordering too much takeout, consider giving them a meal subscription box. There are plenty of options available that take into consideration different types of food preferences or needs (vegans, vegetarians, gluten free, lactose intolerant, etc.).

Prices range depending on your location, length of subscription, and number of people in a household.

Some providers you may want to check out include:

Blue Apron
Freshly
Home Chef
Sun Basket
Purple Carrot
Green Chef

Ergonomic Desk/Chair

Despite the fact that a lot of people have been working from home for almost 9 months now, the majority may still not have the optimal home office setup.

Given the fact that more companies are thinking about allowing employees to work from home, at least some of the time even after the pandemic is over, then helping someone you care about set up their ideal home office seems like an obvious choice.

If you’re not familiar with how much space they have available or what they need, then consider giving them a gift card that they can use to purchase an ergonomic chair or desk of their choice.

Additional ideas to help them set up an ergonomic home office:

Adjustable monitor/laptop arm
A wireless keyboard, especially if working with a laptop is new for them
A back support
Adjustable chair
Adjustable desk
Wireless mouse.

At Home Workout Subscription

Many gyms remain closed. And some people still don’t feel comfortable going to the gym, even if theirs is open.

Sticking to a workout routine while spending the entire day at home is challenging and it can be quite monotonous.

If you know a workout aficionado who is struggling to keep up with his or her workout routine, consider giving them a one-year at home workout subscription.

There are plenty of options out there:

Nike Training Club
Crunch Live
Sweat
Down Dog
Daily Burn
Glo

Stress Balls

Stress has been on the rise since the pandemic started. Anxiety levels are also rising.

To help those you care about cope with their stress, you may want to add stress balls to your holiday shopping list.

As with meal delivery services, there are various “flavors” of stress balls: plain and simple, colorful and cute, soft and firm to help strengthen the grip, inspirational, and plenty more.

Below are our top choices:

A Home Massager

Speaking about stress and helping those you care about relieve some stress and anxiety, a home massager might be a welcome gift for those who are experiencing some stress that has led to neck and back pain.

This might also come in handy for those who have been working from home in less than ideal setups (the living room couch, the kitchen countertop, etc.).

Aromatherapy Stress Relieving Kit

While a massage and stress ball might help some, others may find more relief using aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy has been shown to have various healing benefits, from reducing stress and relieving anxiety, to boosting energy and improving sleep and focus.

If you’re thinking about giving the gift of aromatherapy, make sure that you give a set that’s ready to use. For this, there are two options:

A diffuser + a set of scents
Aromatherapy rollers

Essential oils for stress relief include:

Lavender
Bergamot
Lemongrass
Frankincense
Jasmine
Ylang Ylang.

You can either build a set, or you can purchase a pre-made set:

Plants

Plants can help reduce stress, boost energy levels, improve air quality, and decrease mental fatigue.

Plants can have a therapeutic effect, especially during the cold, grey winter months.

Before you head out to pick some plants, consider choosing plants that are easy to take care of and are safe for indoor environments. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, you’ll want to gift a plant that’s easy to take care of even during winter time, like: