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The holiday season is here and I’ve been thinking about gift giving. HSPs’ temperament makes them well-suited to picking out the perfect gift for loved ones. We pay close attention to details so we are likely to pick up on the wants and desires of others.
In this episode, I talk about the most thoughtful gift I ever received and I also go off on a rant about gift cards.
NOTE: Since publishing this episode I feel quite differently about the topic.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- 10 Reasons Gift Certificates Make Horrible Gifts from Lifehacker
Related posts on this blog:
- Gift Guide for Highly Sensitive People & Introverts
- My heart still hurts from something that happened when I was 5… (about losing a gift someone gave me.)
Podcast music attribution: By the Coast (2004) (Antony Raijekov) / CC BY-NC 2.5
Love the podcast!
I just wanted to offer a flip side to the subject of gift cards, and that is I love receiving gift cards! Of course, not just any old one will do, but even if someone knows me only topically, it’s pretty clear where to go. As a minimalist, I’m not to keen on stuff. I know it’s the thought that counts, but I feel happier about a gift when the other person has taken the time to get to know me enough to but something I will truly like, and not just something they surmise I will. As far as other gifts go, an experience is certainly more memorable than an item I’ll most likely forget about. As an HSP, giving and receiving gifts is all about your audience!
Keep up the great work!
I love your wonderful podcast, thanks for sharing your insights with us. However, I have to agree with the previous post. I also try to live as clutterfree and simplistic as possible, every item we, as people, own, “sucks” a bit of energy from us. Things request to be looked at, tidied up, and often maintenance. An important issue for us, as HSPs with very limited energy households. This makes me be very picky about anything I let into my home and life. This also makes me love love love giftcards! I can pick out the things I really want or need. Most material gifts I receive, I simply give away or donate to someone they actually can make happy or to someone who really needs them. I find that most people give gifts for the sake of gift giving. I rather dont get a gift than have people stress over a gift I most likely dont like anyways (I’d never admit that I dont like a gift openly though, because someones time and money went into it, which I try to honor). Last christmas we, as a family, agreed to give each other the gift of not giving each other gifts ( only something for the kids). So we all thoroughly enjoyed the weeks before christmas and christmas itself because there was absolutely no pressure and we had so much time doing other things than christmas shopping. When my child asked why Santa didnt bring me gifts, I explained that I am so fortunate, surrounded by family, love, and happiness in my life that Santa knew I didnt need anything more, and simply spent more time on gifts for less fortunate people. She found that very plausible and was the only child completely satisfied with her gifts, not asking for more, better, or bigger. <3