There are plenty of gift-giving opportunities throughout the year not counting the traditional holiday season. Everyone has a birthday, right? But there’s also Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, anniversaries and numerous other occasions gifts are expected. What if this year you gifted experiences instead of stuff? Experience gifts are thoughtful, personal, and are beyond comparison to traditional gifts. Here are eight great reasons you should surprise your favorite people with experience gifts this year.
Reason 1: Experiences Do Not Go Out of Style
Socks, ties, shirts, and other clothing, no matter how popular they are right now, will go out of style. Even technology goes out of style. It’s advancing so rapidly that by the time you buy a new gadget or smartphone, there’s a newer version available. An unforgettable experience will never go out of style.
Reason 2: Emotional Connections to Experience Gifts
Psychologists study how the brain works and what makes us tick. From this field, we get the term hedonic adaptation.This idea suggests that even though a tangible gift initially makes us feel happy, over time that feeling fades as the object is integrated into our daily lives. No matter how excited you are about getting something new, happiness decreases as it becomes routine. This is why experience gifts stand out. An experience will stick in our minds longer than a present, and memories of the experience and the positive emotions they elicit improve over time.
Reason 3: Memories Last When Things Don’t
Material gifts are brief. Watches stop working, seams rip out of clothes, and toys eventually break or are outgrown. Memories do not. Experience gifts become like snapshots in time especially if they are spent with those you care about the most. This makes them much more valuable than anything that can be wrapped up in a box.
Reason 4: Traditional Presents Can’t Be Shared
Gifting objects are not designed to be shared generally. Experience gifts, on the other hand, are supposed to be shared. Give your friend or relative a culinary retreat or take them on an adventure retreat they will remember for the rest of their lives!
Reason 5: Experience Gifts are Way More Fun
Giving an experience will beat giving socks or ties every time. Give the nature lover 10 days to explore the Galapagosor an 8-day boating and sailing adventure they will never forget. Match your loved one’s experience gift to the things you know they love to do like cycling, hiking, kayaking, yoga, or meditation.
Reason 6: No One Needs More Stuff
Maybe you have heard of the tidying guru Marie Kondo. She came on the scene a few years ago with “Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and it’s taken the world by storm. People around the globe have begun decluttering their homes one coffee cup or sweater at a time. Create more memories and less clutter by gifting experiences. They don’t get put on a shelf or forgotten in the top of a closet.
Creative Ways to Wrap Experience Gifts
Experience gifts are a great alternative to giving more “stuff.” But “stuff” can be tucked into a gift bag or decorative box. How are you supposed to wrap an experience gift? It should be as much fun to open as a traditional gift, right? Here are some creative ways to wrap an experience gift.
· Purchase the tickets for the experience and wrap them like a traditional gift or put them in a fancy gift bag.
· Find a picture or a logo representing what you are gifting and print it out.
· Buy a small item that represents the experience gift and wrap it up. Wrap a bottle of nail polish to represent a spa retreat. Or wrap a plastic toy animal for a wildlife adventure.
· Give them something they will need to use the experience gift. A new suitcase or outfit for travel for example.
Need More Ideas?
At Retreatmi, we have an adventure retreat to match anyone’s idea of fun. Send your loved one on a cycling tour, sailing, kayaking, or hiking adventure. We also have a number of yoga and meditation retreats designed around relaxation and recentering. You will find we have something for everyone!
