8 Potentially Life-Changing Gifts

Source: Courtesy, OxandPine

Sweaters, jewelry, and even socks are okay but especially for people who are psychologically or personal-growth oriented, one of these holiday gifts might be more appreciated and beneficial.

A blank journal to write musings. Etsy sells many. Here is my favorite.

A time-management app. For the person on your list who wishes s/he got more done, how about giving a time-management app such as RescueTime? It automatically tracks your use of individual digital applications plus you can manually input all the other ways you use your time. ($4.50 a month, $36 a year for the premium version.)

If you’d rather trade that automation for a super-simple, sleek design, Toggl is a fine alternative which also includes the Pomodoro app to help keep you on track: 25 minute of work followed by five minutes of freedom. The full-featured version is $10 a month.

A stress-management app. Using cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) and mindfulness principles, Sanvello. a refined, top-rated app aimed at managing stress and anxiety, is $8 a month for the premium version.

A strengths finder. Based on your responses to 177 self-rating questions, CliftonStrengths suggests your strengths and weaknesses on 34 factors plus implications for action. ($49.99 or $19.99 for just a report on your top five strengths.)

Tuition for a self-improvement course, perhaps at a local community college. Or an adult school class on improvisation or psychodrama. Here are a couple of popular and highly-rated online courses:

• The Science of Well-Being This is Yale’s most popular course, now free. It has a 4.9 average rating across 466,000 enrollees. In that’s that it’s free, you might put the link in your holiday card and buy a gift that costs you a few bucks.
• Mastering Effective Communication. 5,000 students have enrolled, average rating 4.4. $13

A donation on the recipient’s behalf to a charity your recipient believes in and is underfunded. For example, let’s say your recipient has complained that the public schools have eviscerated programs for gifted students. If so, you might make a donation on his or her behalf to the National Association for Gifted Children.

A subscription to Psychology Today magazine.

I read this aloud on YouTube.