Looking for Holiday Gift Ideas for Someone in Recovery?
As the holiday season quickly approaches, you may be thinking about finding the perfect gift for your loved ones. If someone on your gift-giving list is in recovery, here are some great holiday gift ideas that show you care about the person and support their dedication to remaining clean and sober.
Journal or Daily Planner
Journaling is a highly effective recovery tool, so a journal makes a wonderful holiday gift. Journals come in many different styles and designs. Find a journal that reflects the person’s interest, style, or personality. Make the journal special by having a monogram placed on the cover, or writing a personalized message on the first page. An extra nice touch is adding a beautiful pen, colored pencils, or stickers to the package.
Essential Oils
At times, everyone in recovery can struggle with stress, anxiety, and depression. Essential oils can help relieve stress, promote relaxation, and encourage a calm, peaceful feeling. Putting together a small collection of essential oils, an oil diffuser, and a book that explains their benefits and instructions on using them is a gift that will fill their home with relaxing aromas.
Books
Almost everyone loves a good book, and they make excellent gifts. You know the person, their interests, and what they like. You could get them a book in a genre you know they like, whether it’s science fiction, self-help, romance, history, etc. Or, you could buy one or more of the many excellent books on addiction and recovery. These kinds of books often help to strengthen their recovery by reminding them that they are not alone. The Sober Curator recommends a selection of books on addiction and recovery.
Craft or Hobby Supplies
For the newly sober, feelings of boredom, loneliness, depression, and anxiety often cause relapse. Being creative is an excellent way to manage these feelings. If your loved one enjoys a hobby or loves crafting, gifting craft or hobby supplies is a way to encourage their creativity. Art supplies such as paint, colored pencils, charcoals, canvases, and paintbrushes are continually needed as they are used up and can be rather expensive. Giving these supplies as gifts encourages the person to continue their hobby and keeps them busy.
Whether the individual’s hobby is art, music, knitting, photography, or any other creative expression, a wonderful gift may be classes in the subject. You could also offer them a gift certificate for some kind of lessons and let them choose what interests them.
Read on for more holiday gift ideas for your friend or loved one in recovery!
Weighted Blankets
Many people love weighted blankets. They help improve sleep quality, boost mood, reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, and relieve PTSD symptoms. Many people describe weighted blankets as feeling like a warm, big, comforting hug. Generally, these blankets range in weight from five to thirty pounds. According to The Sleep Foundation, people feel most comfortable using a weighted blanket that is approximately ten percent of their body weight.
Exercise Accessories
Many people in recovery enjoy exercise. From yoga to lifting weights, exercise helps manage anxiety and stress. If your loved one likes a specific type of exercise, exercise accessories will make an excellent gift. Items such as a new yoga mat, dumbbells, grippy socks, weight lifting gloves, exercise ball, or resistance bands are accessories that encourage the healthy habit of regular exercise.
Recovery-Related Items
Some people are proud of their recovery and like to wear or use items that show off their recovery progress. For them, there are many beautiful gift choices, such as clothing, mugs, water bottles, and jewelry. These often have the serenity prayer, AA or NA sayings, or meaningful symbols on them. However, not everyone in recovery likes to share this part of their life publicly. If you are unsure how the gift recipient feels about this, it is better to avoid these kinds of gifts.
Gift Certificates, Memberships, & Adventures
A gift certificate for a massage or a day at a spa are gifts that both men and women can enjoy. Your loved one will feel pampered and relaxed. You can even make it a special day for the two of you to enjoy together. Membership to a gym, a meal prep service, or paying for a week’s cleaning service might be a perfect gift. A fun and memorable gift for the adventurous person is planning a special adventure with you or with your family. These types of gifts include visiting a theme park, zip-lining, skydiving, or planning an outdoor camping trip for everyone to enjoy.
If You Need Help
If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, now is the time to get the help you need. At English Mountain Recovery, located in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, help is available. Call and speak to a caring professional who will answer your questions and help you take the first step to recovery. At English Mountain, you will get the help you need to live a sober and fulfilling life.
Are you or someone you love looking for benzodiazepine addiction treatment in TN? To learn more about programs offered at English Mountain Recovery, call and speak with someone today at (877) 615-8569. We are ready to help you or your loved one recover.About the Author: 
Terry Hurley is a retired educational professional and freelance writer with more than fifty years of experience. A former reading specialist and learning center director, Terry loved her years working with children in the educational field. She has written extensively for print and online publications specializing in education and health issues. For the last six years, her writing focus has been on addiction and mental health issues.
