Gift giving is something I have a love/hate relationship with.
When I was growing up, my mom would give us a budget and ask us to make a list of exactly what we wanted. As we got older, we’d even just go with her and pick things out directly. For most of my life, I assumed that this was how everyone did gifts.
Now, it can be a bit of a challenge to buy gifts for people if I don’t know EXACTLY what they want. I’d much rather give someone something that they will actually love and use, rather than something that will go in the donation pile.
So, to help you find the perfect gift for the self help junkie in your life, I thought you might appreciate a list.
Self Help Gift # 1: Books
Most self help junkies I know are reading at least three books at any given time and have a waiting list of what they want to read next. So, books are a perfect choice.
Right now, I’m personally reading:
- The Well Life by Briana and Dr. Peter Borton
- Buffering: Unshared Tales of Life Fully Loaded by Hannah Hart
- Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (for the second time)
And in the queue, I have The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope.
These three books are a good representation of what I have going on at any given time: one fiction, one personal development, and one memoir. If you aren’t sure what kind of books your self-help junkie will like, an Amazon Gift Card will do the trick.
But if you want some additional recommendations on specific personal development books that I recommend, be sure to check out my post on the best books on self-acceptance and the absolute best self-help books.
Self Help Gift # 2: Classes + Courses
Similar to books, self-help junkies like to take a lot of courses and classes. Ask your self help junkie who their favorite teachers are online and gift them a course/book by that teacher OR find a local spot in your area that teaches self development courses and get them a gift certificate. You could also send them a link to my Alchemy 101 email course (it’s free!) or offer to gift them my course on self acceptance.
If you are in my area (Richmond, VA) be sure to check out The Alchemist and the Chrysalis Institute for more ideas. And if they are into yoga and meditation, they might appreciate a gift certificate to their favorite studio, as well.
Self Help Gift # 3: Experiences or Travel
Getting out of your comfort zone is essential for personal growth and traveling is one of the best ways to do that.
So, you might consider booking a trip to a new location or or buying them a guidebook to their favorite travel destination.
If they are the adventure seeking type, you might consider getting them a fire walking experience with Tony Robbins! (That is some serious outside the comfort zone stuff right there!)
If they could really use some downtime, maybe a personal retreat or silent meditation weekend is more their speed. Kripalu is an awesome retreat center with a long list of activities and they have gift certificates available.
Many life coaches also offer retreats so that would be a good way to go, as well.
Self Help Gift # 4: A Journal + Pens
If the self help junkie in your life is anything like me, they probably love a good journal and pen as much as they love life itself.
I love Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks (in plain or dot grid) because of the:
- excellent paper quality
- dual ribbon bookmarks
- index at the front
- numbered pages
I have three in the A5 size, which I use for different purposes and I have one in the master size, which I use for brainstorming ideas for my life coaching business.
For pens, I use two different types of pens, depending on what I am writing.
Some of the energy work that I do for my clients happens on a piece of paper called a soul chart and the paper is very finicky. Some inks will literally wipe right off, so, after years of searching for THE pen to use with them, I use Faber-Castell Pitt Artist pens. They don’t wipe off or bleed and they write very nicely.
In my notebooks and journals, though, I use Uni-Ball Vision Elites because they write a really sharp line, come in nice colors, and don’t explode on airplanes!
If the self help junkie in your life is a fan of fountain pens, I hear this one is nice.
Self Help Gift # 5: A Planner
Some people are planner junkies, some people are self help junkies, and some people are both.
If the self help junkie in your life is also planner junkie, a planner can make a really nice gift.
Fair warning, though, this is an area that folks tend to be SUPER picky because each person is different when it comes to planning. That isn’t a “bad” thing, of course, because knowing yourself, what you need and value, and what works for you is the secret to loving your life. But to be sure they’d dig it, ask them if they already have a favorite.
The two that I’d recommend are values-driven and focus on helping you stay on track with your goals. They are the Rituals for Living Dreambook and The Passion Planner. The Rituals for Living Dreambook comes in either hardcover OR PDF format and Passion Planner comes in hardcover in A4 and A5.
I am also a fan of the Desire Map Process created by Danielle LaPorte, which is feelings driven, rather than values driven. (Different sides of the same coin, honestly.) She has a daily planner that helps you stay focused on your “Core Desired Feelings. You can find that here.
If they want something less goal/values focused and more brass tacks, based on a recent conversation with my Facebook friends, both the Erin Condren and the Day Designer are popular choices.
I do hope that this post helps you to find the perfect gift for the self help junkie in your life. But, if you still feel stuck, just ask them! 😉