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Stress relief gift baskets are thoughtful gifts that keep on giving. In just one basket like these, you’ll give your friend or loved one days of stress relief goodness. They’re great for any time of year, any season and for any reason.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- Pampering Stress Relief Gift Basket Ideas
- Relaxing Stress Relief Gift Basket Ideas
- Funny Stress Relief Gift Basket Ideas
When someone is going through a particularly difficult season, or if they’ve just come through one, give them something to help them relax. Giving a stress relief basket will help show someone you care about their health and well being.
Pampering Stress Relief Gift Basket Ideas
Think about what type of basket would give your friend or loved one the most stress relief possible, then pick and choose items that would make them say, “Ahhh.” Consider including a card filled with encouraging words to say when someone is stressed.
1. The spa day basket
Is there anything more stress-relieving than a day or two at the spa? It’s doubtful. If your friend is in dire need of some stress relief, bring the spa to them!
- Bath bombs. Perfect for someone who loves to take baths. Make sure your friend actually has a tub so they can use them. Scents such as eucalyptus, vanilla, and lavender are helpful as calming scents.
- Face mask. You can’t go wrong with a soothing face mask formulated for every skin type.
- Eye mask. Place a rejuvenating eye mask in the basket to help soothe away those under-eye bags.
- Lotion. Ramp up the comfort with silky, calming lotion that has ingredients like oatmeal, lavender, shea butter, and calendula oil.
2. The book worm basket
Have a friend or member of the family whose dream is to escape between the covers of a book and read all day? Provide everything they’ll need to read the day away while staying calm, comfortable, and stress-free. This works great as a get well gift as well!
- Choose a book or two that you know your friend will love. Have they mentioned an author or a brand new book they haven’t read yet? Include them.
- A mug is helpful for everyone to sip on a delicious beverage while they read the day away. Choose a mug with a fun saying or quote that will make them smile.
- Pick their favorite coffee or tea and include enough for a day or two.
- Depending on the season, include a throw for them to cozy up with or a light shawl for pure enjoyment.
3. All the feels basket
This is for a pal that would love nothing more than to listen to relaxing music all day. Consider picking calming, relaxing, restful music such as tracks featuring the guitar, panflute, piano, or hand-drums. Include several CDs to total a few hours worth of relaxing musical vibes. You can also make a custom playlist for your friend and gift them a Spotify subscription instead.
Add some essential oils for them to use as aromatherapy. These will serve to make your friend’s home environment as peaceful as possible. Choose oils including calendula, chamomile, lavender, eucalyptus, ylang-ylang, frankincense, and clary sage.
Make sure to also add a diffuser. Include a small single-room size diffuser that has a runtime of at least two to three hours. They can also put their essential oils on the lava beads and inhale the calming scent of lavender anytime they want.
4. A little bit of everything basket
For the friend who is most content meandering through their day doing many things, put together a basket that lets them pick and choose how they want to relax.
- Journal and pen. They might fill in one whole page before they take a year-long break from journaling, but they might enjoy having the option all the same.
- Craft kit. Is your friend the hands-on type? Pick a “make your own pottery” kit with clay. For the person who wants to tackle a craft for several days, choose an embroidery kit.
- Drink. Include aready-made drink of choice. Whether you give them a bottle of wine, a fancy glass-bottle coffee, or specialty soda, they’ll love it.
- Munchies. Include some healthy, some not-so-healthy munchies for them to enjoy. Make sure it’s “diet” friendly - not low cal, but gluten-free, paleo, or vegan if need be.
- New shirt. Because everyone loves getting a new shirt to wear.
Relaxing Stress Relief Gift Basket Ideas
Some people in your life may not show it a lot, but they get stressed out. Between work, family, friends, and kids, it’s a lot to juggle. Use one of these ideas to help them chill out.
5. Rustic beginner's spa day basket
Everyone needs a spa day! Help your partner, BFF, pal, or coworker unwind with a basket of spa essentials.
Some good options include a stress balm. This stuff rubs on smooth and soaks in to help muscles relax. Provide a stick or tin so they can rub away the strain and stress.
You might also want to include a candle. Everyone loves them. Go with a scent like sage and cedar or juniper berry to create a feel-good relaxing atmosphere. To help them rinse off the stress balm, add a luxury bar of soap with a loofah for exfoliating.
Finally, help them with their spa day by including a special scented lotion. If they like something woodsy, go for scents like cedarwood, oud, or black tie. Trust us, they’ll thank you for it!
6. Personal spa basket
If the person you’re thinking of has a significant other who can give them a back rub, that’s great! If not, this basket will fit the bill.
- Eye massager: Think of an eye mask with heat therapy to give your tired eyes a rest. For people who work on computers all day, this is a match made in heaven.
- Foot massager: Between heat, pressure, and vibration, their feet will be restored in no time.
- Back massager. A pad large enough to cover back and shoulders, this will restore life to someone who stands and uses their back all day.
- Neck massager. Need we say more? Give them the gift of removing those kinks from staring at a computer all day. (This massager works for the back, neck, and other body parts!)
7. Jazz basket
Like a casual music basket, make it jazz-centered for the person in your life that enjoys the taps of some bass with some light percussion.
Make sure to add two to three hours worth of smooth jazz for them to enjoy. Adding a book about one of the jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and John Coltrane will let them read about what they love.
By giving them a foot hammock, they will be able to sit back and relax even if they’re at their desk. It’s worth adding a special glassperhaps engraved with some favorite jazz music notes for them to relax, and listen to more smooth jazz.
8. Meditation basket
Give them something to take their thoughts off the rat race and stressful pace of life.
While they may be a little pricey, if your friend has a green thumb, consider getting them a bonsai tree. Just looking at it lowers blood pressure and brings out a sense of serenity.
A zen garden could also provide hours of calming enjoyment with just sand and a rake. Also, there are some options for temporary writing like a unique “buddha board.” You can draw, write, and doodle on this board. It uses water and your images will vanish as the water dries. Write down problems you want to disappear, draw a picture, or write a phrase.
Fun and Amusing Stress Relief Gift Basket Ideas
Sometimes laughter can be the best medicine to help you forget the discouragement, stress, and rat race nature of life. Give the gift of amusem*nt with these baskets.
9. Chill out basket
For this whimsical basket, you’ll put together several items to help someone take a time out from all their frustrations and woes.
- Edible chill pills. Fill a mason jar with “chill pills.” This can be any type of candy from Good and Plenty to M&Ms.
- Cuddleable chill pills. Made from yarn and crocheted or knitted, these adorable creations are made to amuse and hold. They look like a pill and have the most adorable faces crocheted onto them.
- Squeezy ball. Because everyone needs a way to relieve the stress they feel. These come in many styles and shapes, so choose something to make your friend smile.
10. Time out basket
Encourage someone you know to take some time out and destress with these items. Animal shaped lamps like a cat Himalayan salt lamp can help purify the air. It can also bring a smile as your furry friend curls up in your lamp, while you admire the soft glow and take time away from the stressors of life.
There are also things like affirmation stones, which can be used to smooth away stress and help focus on the positive.
If you know someone who fidgets a lot, a magnetic stress relief toy could be useful as well. It can help them unleash their creativity and quiet their mind by building shapes or anything they’d like for hours with hundreds of tiny magnetic balls.
11. Get in-tune basket
Help someone get in tune with their feelings and emotions with this basket. The more you know yourself, the better you can help yourself destress.
- Magnetic hourglass. This isn’t for watching the hours fade away. Instead, spend hours watching the tiny magnetic slivers build patterns and shapes each time you turn the hourglass.
- Stickers. Include a pack of stickers with phrases like, “Breathe,” “It’s Gonna Be OK,” and “Be Calm.”
- Emotional crochet blip. These crochet friends help you set aside your emotions and find your inner happy place.
- Card. Include a card like this one with a thinking of you message and let them know you see their struggle.
12. Let it go basket
Though you may be inclined to run away and sing this song atop your own ice fortress, perhaps this basket could help that stress just run away and enable you to “let it go.”
For a friend in need of some stress release, get them an embroidered cactus to put on their wall with a message like “Don’t let it stick.” You can also make them playlist with songs that talk about letting things go. “Let It Go,” anyone? Lastly, you can also include a journal that has a saying like, “Forget it” or “Let it go” on the front. Now, they can journal all their frustrations away.
Give the Gift of Stress Relief
Life can be full of frustrating, discouraging, disheartening, and stressful events. Help your friend or loved one focus on the positive things like love, happiness, joy, and peace by giving them a gift basket that helps them destress and stay calm.
