21 of the Best Self-Care Gifts for a Calmer Life
Self-care, when practiced regularly, can reduce stress, prevent burnout, and revitalize you so you’re more focused and productive.
But maybe you neglect self-care because you grew up in a “work hard” ethic, and feel guilty when you do something nice for yourself.
Or perhaps you feel compelled to take care of others, first and foremost, and find there’s no time left for your.
Sadly, it’s the same for so many people in these pressurized times.
We need to switch out these attitudes, which only lead to more stress, burnout, and resentment, for healthier ones. Because self-care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for a happy and healthy life.
What could make a better gift than something that will nourish the receiver’s mind, body, or spirit. A self-care gift could really make a positive difference in their life. And don’t forget to include yourself on your self-care gift list because, as the saying goes, you can’t serve from an empty vessel.
21 of the Best Self-Care Care Gifts
This self-care gift guide will make it easy for you to select the perfect present, whether it’s Christmas, a birthday, or another celebratory day. I’ve specially chosen each considering quality and price. Enjoy!
Please note: this article contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking them. There is no cost to you and your support enables me to continue writing free articles for you on Always Well Within. Thank you!
Bamburoba Bamboo Bath Tray
Relax and enjoy a long luxurious bath with everything you need right at your finger tips. This durable and water resistant bamboo bath tray includes a reading rack for a book or tablet, phone slot, wine glass or cup holder, and space for bath accessories. Easily adjustable, it fits most bathtubs.
Cheeky Ginger Citrus Bar Soap
Drink in the delightful aromas of orange, tangerine, pink grapefruit, and ginger as you suds up. 100% natural ingredients, no animal products, made on the Big Island of Hawaii by an eco-friendly company.
Filthy Farm Girl Cheeky Ginger Citrus Bar Soap
Mauna Kea Mint Soothing Bar Soap
A mix of mint, mullein, comfrey, and ginger for a soothing yet skin stimulating bath, perfect after a long day. 100% natural ingredients, no animal products, made on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Wowe Natural Organic Bamboo Tooth Brush
Did you know that almost 50 million pounds of plastic toothbrushes go into our landfills each year? It can take up to 1,000 years for all this plastic to decompose. In the meantime, it can leak pollutants into the water and soil.
When you choose alternative products and reduce your use of plastic, you’re taking a positive step for your own health and for the future of this planet.
These Wowe tooth brushes are made from fast growing bamboo, have BPA free bristles, and an ergonomic design. This pack of 4 will have you set for a whole year, since it’s recommended, for health reasons, to change your toothbrush every 3 months.
Wowe Natural Organics Bamboo Tooth Brush (Pack of 4)
White Noise Machine
Have trouble sleeping? A white noise machine may help.
Many people find the relaxing sound of a fan or white, pink or brown noise can helps them get to sleep more quickly and stay asleep longer. The white noise masks environmental noises that can keep you up or wake you up in the middle of the night. And when you place it in your study or office, a white noise machine will reduce sound distractions and help you get more done.
The LectroFan offers twenty unique digital sounds to mask noises. You can choose from ten different electric fan sounds and ten variations of pure white noise. All sounds can be personalized with pin-point volume control to select across a wide range of sound levels - from a whisper, to many times louder than mechanical fan based conditioners.
Adaptive Sound Technologies LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Sound Machine
Noise Cancelling Headphones
It’s a big investment to buy noise cancelling headphones, but if you’re extra sensitive to noise or simply desire a more peaceful environment, they may be just what you need.
Noise cancelling headphones can help you feel calmer and improve your concentration so you can dive deeply into your work, reading, music, or meditation. The top-end Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II are Alexa enabled. They allow you to adjust your level of noise canceling between three settings.
Bose QuietComfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones
Planners and Journals
A good planner is one of my top self-care secrets.
I need to keep my life organized in one place. It saves me an enormous amount of time and energy. Without the right planner, I forget important tasks, write things on little slips of paper that easily get lost, and sometimes miss appointments.
While it might be hard to buy a planner for someone else, this is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.
Hobonicin Techo Cousin 2019 Planner
I love the Hobonichi Techo Cousin 2019 planner because it has monthly, weekly, and daily pages. I use the monthly layout for an overview of my appointments and activities. The weekly layout hosts my daily schedule and daily to-do lists, each day of the week in side-by-side columns. I fill the daily pages with important notes, projects lists, my daily tarot readings, and anything else I might want to go back to during the year.
This calendar is in Japanese, but the days and months are in English, and numbers need no translation. The planner has more than a half million users around the world, which attests to translatability and versatility.
You can see creative ways to use this planner in Esme Wang’s article on productivity journaling. Download her free ebook, mentioned in the article, for more ideas and illustrations.
Or check out this YouTube video from Yukiko Sakamura on how to use the Hobonichi Techo Cousin as a bullet journal. You can also see how she uses the smaller Hobonichi Techo Weeks in your later videos.
I don’t like the expensive, plastic or leather Hobonichi covers, so I use a Kokuyo Systemic Refillable A5 Notebook Cover, which is elegant and durable. The one I bought at the start of 2018 still looks brand new. I plan to use it in 2019 too. The notebook cover has three ribbon markers, a small pocket in the front and back, and an elastic notebook closure.
If the Hobonich Techo Cousin is too big for you, check out the smaller Hobonich Techo Weeks. It comes in all sorts of cool colors and designs, but doesn’t have daily pages.
The Passion Planner
Before I switched to the Hobonichi Techo Cousin last year, I used (and adored) the Passion Planner for three years. The Passion Planner has monthly and weekly pages. It doesn’t have daily pages, but there are quite a few blank pages in the back, which you can use bullet journal style or for special notes and lists.
I especially loved supporting a woman/minority owned business, one that started from scratch and has grown in leaps and bounds. I also appreciate the company’s get one, give one donation program.
Leuchtturm 1917 Journal
For personal journaling, I’m keen on the Leuchtturm 1917 dotted medium-size blank book.
It contains 249 numbered pages, more pages than many other journals. You can use the index at the front to keep track of any pages or notes you want to revisit in the future. Ivory paper, ribbon markers, and an expandable pocket in the back all add to its elegant feel. It’s available in a wide variety of colors from black to berry. And it’s also perfect to use as a bullet journal.
The Tapping Solution
This bestselling book gives you everything you need to successfully start using the powerful practice of tapping—or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).
Tapping is a fast, easy, and free way to address the emotional and physical problems that may be hampering your life. Using the energy meridians of the body, you tap on specific points while focusing on particular negative emotions or physical sensations. Tapping helps calm the nervous system to restore the balance of energy in the body, and in turn rewires the brain to respond in healthy ways. Tapping has helped rid individuals of everything from chronic pain to phobias to addictions.
Tapping always makes me feel better.
The Tapping Solution, A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living
Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal
I loved Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and their 365 Love Challenges.
Now they’re back with a Worry Journal to help you reduce anxiety and find greater calm. The journal is filled with prompts, quotes, questions for reflection, and coloring and doodle pages.
Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, A Creative Way to Let Go of Anxiety and Find Peace
Gelmusha Gel Pens
These would be a great companion gift to the Worry Journal, which contains coloring pages, or one of the Peter Pauper coloring books below. I prefer gel pens over colored pencils for coloring because they’re so vibrant.
Adult Coloring Books
I color often. It’s a great way to relieve stress. My thoughts slow down, and I feel like I enter a relaxed but alert meditative state. I gather with friends on alternate weeks in an outdoor gazebo to color and draw together.
Peter Pauper Press has the best coloring books! They’re printed on heavyweight paper so there’s no bleed through, designs are printed on only one side of the page, and each page is micro-perforated for easy removal. The price is right and each book has 31 stress-relieving designs.
A Simple Year 2019
Would you like to simplify your life but find it impossible to do so on your own? Why not join A Simple Year 2019 and be guided by the top simplicity experts?
Each month you’ll receive written articles, and an audio or video recording. There will also be a live monthly webinar where you can connect with the simplicity expert for that month, ask questions, and meet other people on a similar path.
This is the last year these 12 months of guided simplicity will be offered.
Imagine how good it will feel to live with less: less clutter, less busyness, less stress over money, relationships, and stuff. As you simplify your life, you’ll have more time, energy, and money to pursue what really matters to you.
Living with Ease E- Course
Too much stress? Consider my signature e-course, Living with Ease, The Mindful Way to Less Stress.
This 30-lesson self-paced course offers a complete road map to help you dispel stress and prevent it from overpowering you again. The course skillfully blends instruction on mindfulness, stress reduction techniques, and self-inquiry to help you get at the root of your stress.
Living with Ease, The Mindful Way to Less Stress
Bee Hive Pure Beeswax Candle
Candles create a special ambiance, whether you’re with a special someone or treating yourself to alone time. But who wants all the toxins found in everyday candles?
The Bee Hive candle is handmade and contains zero toxins. And beeswax candles are dripless, smokeless, and last longer. They come in a variety of sizes.
Arctic Flex Hot Water Bottle and Cold Pack
Sometimes, a low-tech solution is all you need. So snuggle up with your hot water bottle on those chilly nights or let it comfort your aches and pains — the contour shape of the Arctic Hot Water Bottle provides targeted pain relief, and it doubles as a cold pack too. Your choice of green, blue, or purple.
Arctic Flex Hot Water Bottle and Cold Pack
Herbal Ease Neck Pillow
Let your stress and tension melt away and discover relaxation in its place with this Herbal Ease Neck Pillow. Pop the neck pillow in the microwave for both moist heat and aromatherapy. The hard herbs in the pillow retain heat and release their comforting aromas and healing properties when the pillows are warmed. The rice in the pillows releases moisture.
Tara Spa Therapy Herbal Ease Neck Pillow
Realalt 3DTriSport Walking 3D Pedometer
Encourage your loved ones (or yourself) to get or stay healthy this year by walking more and using a pedometer to track their progress.
You can clip the Realalt 3D Tri Sport pedometer to a pocket, wear it around your neck, or place it in a bag. Track steps, distance, calories burned, and exercise time. Highly accurate, this pedometer is easy to set up and use.
Realalt 3DTriSport Walking 3D Pedometer
Want more self-care gift ideas? Check out:
15 of the Most Awesome Self-Care Gifts Ever
Your Turn: Did something here resonate for you? What would you love to receive as a surprise self-care gift? I would love to hear in the comments.
Thank you for your presence, I know your time is precious! Don’t forget to sign up for Wild Arisings, my twice monthly letters from the heart filled with insights, inspiration, and ideas to help you connect with and live from your truest self. May you be happy, well, and safe – always. With love, Sandra