2020 Conscious Gift Guide for the Highly Sensitive Person
Wondering where to find meaningful gifts for friends - and yourself - this year?
I’ve intentionally carved out time throughout the year to connect with other highly sensitive people, community leaders, visionary worldchangers and entrepreneurs and I’ve found that in lots of conversations, I shared lots of links to resources, items that can support them in their journey and meaningful gifts for sensitive people like me that I thought it would be helpful for you to see it all in one place!
While I personally don’t shop often (as shared in a recent article), it is important to me when I gift something to my own friends that they are meaningful AND support small/local businesses, female-owned and BIPOC-owned brands. Whether you find some gifts you love below or choose to support other brands, I encourage you to shop as small and local as possible.
Celebrating the holiday season may look very different for you this year and I thought it would be helpful to navigate the overwhelming options online to give-with-intention to those you love. You’ll find a good mix of local businesses both in the United States and in Singapore as you scroll through.
💛 = I have personally used the product, tried the service or interacted with the brand in some way.
Products:
💛Herbal Tea from Herb Folk in Petaluma, US$15-$25: I came across Erin whilst searching for local acupuncture practitioners and holistic health services and chanced upon her Herb Folk tea range. When I moved to my new neighbourhood, I placed a custom order to have customised tea blends dropped off to every single neighbour in our area with a personal note stamped on each bag! Being a Highly Sensitive Person, you may find that caffeine hits you in all the wrong ways - so these teas are a wonderful way to nourish your health and get a spot of self-care in each day.
💛Mindful Company in Singapore: Before I moved to San Francisco, I was fortunate to meet the founder of Mindful Company and bought a whole bunch to personally engrave a message on each and gift to team members of my non-profit. For the Highly Sensitive Person, you know you appreciate gifts with meaning, heart and intention - and this one ticks all the boxes!
Potted Plant: I don’t have specific recommendations as I would encourage you to shop locally and support a small florist/nursery near you. A team member of mine sent a potted plant over to me for my birthday this year and it was such a wonderful gift. It helps my sensitivity get a dose of grounding and nature’s medicine each day as I tend to the greenery I have around me at home.
The Sutajio in Singapore, SG$15-$32: I met Danli who was producing a Youtube video series I was hosting many years ago. We’ve kept in touch and during Singapore’s Covid-19 Lockdown, she began working on this mask-making project with her friend as a way to spend her time and support local retired seniors.
💛The Highly Sensitive Person: How do you thrive when the world overwhelms you? Is it even possible? Dr Elaine Aron, who first researched and created an awareness for the trait, wrote a book that many Highly Sensitive People still refer to - even Alanis Morisette sings its praises. Get it from a local bookstore near you.
P.S. I will add that thoughtfully selected books and reading material will be deeply appreciated by the Highly Sensitive Person in your life!
Circadian Optics, Light Therapy Lamp, US$39.99 - $59.99: While I haven’t got one of my own (it’s definitely on my wishlist), I always try to look for who owns the company, their story and their why. Amber happens to come from Malaysia where I was born and her story deeply resonated with me. She asks herself: What are you going to do with your one wild and precious life?
The Light Therapy takes inspiration from Circadian rhythm.
Francis and Benedict : When I first saw their skirts, I was wowed. Francis and Benedict is a non-profit organisation that aims to make a lasting global impact by using their love for people and fashion to change communities…one outfit as a time.
With Francis and Benedict, you can expect a fashion line that empowers women out of poverty in Togo, West Africa. Each handmade, limited edition skirt turns heads and tells a story.
Eden + Elie: Purposefully made and heritage-inspired jewelry. As someone who is Highly Sensitive and journeys with chronic illness, finding items that reduce decision-making while getting dressed and simplifying as much as possible is what I look for. I also appreciate items that can be worn for years and are not passing fashion trends.
💛Bose Noise-Canceling Headphones: Noise canceling headphones are the thing that I never knew I needed (even when I was a Radio DJ), until a few years ago when I happened to need a pair for a project I was starting to dream about. Noise canceling headphones have been a game-changer for me at home, especially this year as it enables me to put it on reduce the overwhelm on my sense of hearing. Sometimes I won’t even play anything - I’ll just have it on my ears.
Gracelaced: For something beautiful for the home-office or for the home, look no further than GraceLaced Co., an art and lifestyle brand that exists to adorn the gospel through collectible, meaningful, and truth-filled products based on the written and painted work of its founder, author, and artist, Ruth Chou Simons.
Self-Care:
💛Evan Healy Organic Skin Care: Wow, where do I even begin to talk about this line of products I discovered when I first moved to San Francisco?! I’ve been very intentional about creating morning and evening rituals and making sure I find the right skin care and products-with-heart! Evan Healy is a holistic aesthetician and created her own line of products with a mission to change the way women think about and treat their skin. The line of products are reminders to: Remember what is sacred, Remember who you are and Make a shrine of your body.
💛Solomon Holistic Skin + Body Care, for Therapeutic Facials (in Singapore) by Sarah: I was gutted to only meet Sarah and her incredible healing work just before I moved. Whatever I put into words about her facials and services will never do it justice so I would encourage you to go and try it for yourself. If you know of a friend of is needing self-care, purchase a gift card for them. Service with heart is just the start of what you’ll experience!
💛Aloeswood Beauty in the San Francisco Bay Area: As Highly Sensitive People and/or community leaders, you need time to yourself. Time in silence and to receive nourishment, healing and support so that your heart is always overflowing. Christy Swenson did that for me at Aloeswood Beauty, which offers skin + body treatments with a holistic approach optimising cell function using plant therapy, science + healing techniques. You can purchase a gift certificate!
💛Goldenseal Skincare in the San Francisco Bay Area: I loved my time with Tarren (I secretly always wish they were longer and slowed down) and discovering the hidden gem that is her space. All her services use organic and plant-based products which you can also purchase when you visit. It’s located just above one of my fave independent book stores, Spectator Books, which sells new and used books and gifts - aa wonderful place to spend time before or after your time with Tarren!
💛Laurel: Created by Laurel who believes that love is the most powerful healing tool available, I’ve used a couple of their products (namely their recovery balm) and looking forward to eventually replacing some other items in my bathroom cabinet. Laurel products harness the efficacy of authentic vibrant plant medicine, are made thoughtfully by hand by real farmed ingredients, and that only elevate the sacred ritual spa experience of each unique destination.
💛Oasis Skin in Singapore: I met the founder, Hildra, while I was out for one of my final window-shopping sessions with my mum (does anyone else love to look at window displays and just go out to follow your curiosity?) and ended up discovering a table booth filled with organic skin-care items. I purchased their essential oil roller (lavender, of course, to help calm me on stressful or overwhelming days) and have been so excited to see more product offerings unfold and get added!
SRC Botanicals: I stumbled across this one the other day and I’m eager to try it out. As you can tell, by this list - self-care is essential being highly sensitive so I can understand that while it may not be possible to change all your products (I don’t encourage this!), you can try to replace things as they run out one by one as I have done over the years.
💛Skwalwen Botanicals: Supporting local and female-owned businesses is a big thing for me - but when it’s a woman of colour, it means that much more to me. Growing up, I always searched for someone that looked like me or someone to light my path - I never found it. Which is why it’s I spend a lot of my energy and time, finding brands and supporting businesses that create awareness of diverse cultures and have representation. Sḵwálwen (skwall - win) is an Indigenous business creating small batch botanical skin care products. Honouring traditional Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) plant knowledge, they incorporate wild harvested plants and organic, high quality ingredients. Their wild plant ingredients are harvested in a sustainable and respectful way and each product has a Squamish name to honour the place where this plant knowledge comes from.
Weighted Blanket: I’ve yet to purchase from one of the companies that sell weighted blankets but have experienced the benefits with my mother-in-law’s blanket that she gifted to my husband that weighs a ton! Other than a weighted blanket, a brand that I’ve also been looking into is one called Hug Sleep’s Sleep Pod which combines the science of Deep Touch Pressure Therapy - and in layman’s terms is a blanket that hugs you back, calms you down and puts you to sleep.
P.S I know it looks a little silly in the image - but who’s going to watch you while you sleep (unless they’re a little creepy like that)!
💛Heat Pack: Since 2014, I’ve been sleeping with a heat pack that I fill up with boiling hot water - yes, even when I was living in tropical, humid Singapore! When the world is overwhelming to you, find something that calms, soothes and relaxes. For me, having something warm when I sleep at night, eases my mind and relaxes the muscles from the tension I hold in my body. The debilitating chronic illness I have suffered from over the years, fibromyalgia, deeply benefits from applying heat. The brand I use is German Brand, Fashy (I found it at a local department store in Singapore) and I’m eyeing getting another one from a small business like this one.
Brightland x The Slow Factory Olive Oil, US$40: Woman owned and person of colour owned and created to address the lack of transparency, this collaboration sees a pure organic olive oil with 100% of proceeds go to The Slow Factory Foundation, a nonprofit focused on the intersection between social and environmental justice.
Our Place Always Pan, US$145: I’ve been eyeing this one for awhile but will wait till 2021 as I continue to get settled in my new spot. I’m obsessed with the idea of simplifying and having less items at home, filling it instead with carefully curated and intentional finds.
Woman-owned and person of colour owned, I appreciate their mission of building connections over the kitchen table and you’ll see a lot of their story-telling, diversity of culture, ethical production and through their giving.
Growth + Productivity
💛Passion Planner: A friend gifted me one a couple years ago and as I contemplate what 2021 might look like, I’m looking into making a purchase of my own. Both this planner and the next one are founded by women of colour!
Savor Life 90 Day Planner: I’ve started breaking my year into quarterly chunks. Breaking things down into quarters also speaks to me as someone who takes inspiration from the changing seasons of nature. Every 3 months, it gives me the opportunity to set intentions, make space for reflection and to evaluate if what I’m working on is really moving in the direction of my North Star.
💛Growth Journal: The community leaders and highly sensitive people you may know will very likely need the space to dream, the safe space to share what they’re navigating and the lessons learned. I just discovered this one and made a purchase to support the local artist and creator of the Growth Journal - so it’s somewhere in the mail on its way to me. I’m looking forward to this one accompanying me through 2021. If 2020 was a huge year of growth, I don’t want to miss the nuggets of learning as we transition into the new year!
💛5 Minute Gratitude Journal: I was gifted this by Jadah herself! It’s for people who don’t like using journals or are not quite sure how to structure their gratitude each day. Unfortunately, I didn’t use this one as often as I’d like to as I spent more time in my actual journal (I’m a journal-y person!) with my daily morning pages, thought bubbles and whatever I get off my chest for the day. I can see this as a really great gift or an item for yourself if you just can’t seem to find the time to sit down and write!
💛Reflection Cards like The Virtues Project Cards: My friend Vanessa from Greenleaf Montessori sent this via mail and it’s something I use each and every week. Reflection cards are super supportive to the sensitive in me and an opportunity to open up in conversation and connection with friends or even my husband. What I like to do is to pick a card over the weekend and let that word set my intentions and actions for the next 7 days. This week’s word happens to be Hope.
I have many favourite reflection cards, conversation cards and cards that inspire sparks of creativity. Perhaps I’ll share it in the near future!
A few non-product ideas…
While this gift guide focuses mainly on products you can touch and see, there are so many additional ways you can give with intention - especially with many local and small businesses really needing the support! Here are some other ways to gift-with-heart!
💛Handmade with heart. Since the 6th grade, I have intentionally created care packages out of art material and made something by hand. It meant so much more when I received something in the mail from a friend that obviously spent time and energy towards something they felt I could love. So whether you make your own cards, baked goods or products - it’ll show how much you care!
Gift cards to local restaurants or coffee shops in your community. I don’t think much needs to be said about how much the food and beverage/hospitality industry have been hard hit due to the pandemic. So go out and grab some gift cards to your favourite local businesses and gift to friends. It’ll be a gift that keeps on giving.
💛Gift Cards to local services. Whether it’s healing, life coaching, counselling, etc. It can also be services like House-cleaning, child-care or laundry. Honestly, not the most glamorous but if you really know what your friend/loved one needs - sometimes giving them the gift of time to take a day off or time to get creative or time to recharge can be life-changing. Find a local service based in your home town. Related to this, The Blue Pencil, Singapore: I first met Shirley in 2018 and journeyed with her intensely for the first year and then leading up to my transition to the United States. Mental and emotional well-being is important and sometimes can be under-rated when you’re busy leading community and building a heart-centred business. Finding someone to speak to in your neighbourhood can be a bit like dating in that not every therapist or counsellor will suit you and can take a couple times with different people before you decide to see who you want to have journey alongside you. It can be helpful to find someone who supports you and has worked with Highly Sensitive People before.
💛Online courses and memberships. Okay, you can down a rabbit hole with this one as there’s so many workshops and programming moving into the virtual worlds. You can find out what your friend/loved one is interested in and go from there. I once bought my mum a membership for community cooking classes and loved that she got to bring home whatever she made. You can think about Art Therapy: Not everything can be easily expressed verbally or in writing so it sometimes helps to find other outlets for what you’re feeling and thinking. I have a few friends who highly recommend art therapy and I have incorporated some activities of it into my own life. Or….
Workshop/Class: This year, we’ve had more time than ever before to experiment with things we’ve never gotten around to doing. I’ve always wanted to do a ceramics and pottery class since the last time I had that opportunity was during Middle School in Australia. Working with the hands, the ability to express, create and dream can be incredibly therapeutic. A friend of mine from primary school Lisa (of Lisa Teng Studios) has created her own art workshops specifically to create your own shoes or leather products (she also hand-makes shoes, too)!
💛Subscription Services to promote well-being and self-care: Given you may not be traveling any time soon, you can think about gifting a subscription service. I use the Abide app which is a faith-based mindfulness and meditation app. I’ve also used Calm, Insight Timer and Headspace as well that you could get a subscription on behalf of a friend
And that’s my round-up!
There’s honestly a lot to wade through online this time of year and if anything else, remember that nothing beats your gift of presence (not presents!), your gift of time (through something like coffee and conversation) and the fact that out of anyone in the world, you thought of someone enough to send a card, a gift, an email or something that reminds them of this universal truth: You Matter.
Please note that NONE of what I share are affiliate links, meaning that I do not receive financial reimbursements for sharing the information above. As mentioned, the items with the 💛means that I’ve personally used the item or have interacted with it before.
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P.S Here are some extra pro-tips!
When you gift something, you can use it as a way to share what you care about. Whether it’s a financial donation made in the name of a friend to a cause you advocate or a type of product the promotes one of your values (such as my friends giving me their reflection cards!), you can think about what is important to you, too!
If you can do-away with gift-wrap all together, please do! I save up years worth of bubble wrap, paper bags and other packaging that items come in. There are creative ways to up-cycle, repurpose and minimise single use materials. The local thrift stores or craft-upcycle stores may have items, too!
As best as you can, shop small and local. These are real families, humans and hearts pouring into the item that you order and I like knowing that someone (other than me) is doing a happy dance every time I hit the ‘purchase’ button.
Be mindful that not all small businesses will look ‘perfect’ or ‘on-brand’ or anything that’s heavily marketed by big-name brands and corporations. I celebrate that there’s imperfection and know that I’m supporting someone’s dreams and visions of putting out something into the world.