Say it with spa

I find that increasingly when people talk to me about buying gifts for their friends and loved ones, they feel somewhat frustrated - in search of something meaningful but hard pressed to find something that really fits the bill.

I think part of the challenge is that in a world overloaded with things, the sense of meaning can sometimes get lost. It's not that we're all so privileged that there's nothing we want or need, but rather that we're all looking for deeper connections and better ways to truly express our love for the people we care about.

While things are nice to have, it seems to me that experiences are what memories are made of.

Presents with a purpose

Maya Angelou famously said: "At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel."

I think when we look for a gift for people we really care about, it's that mindset that most of us seek to embrace. Perhaps we want to create space for quality time with a loved one. Perhaps we want to give them the opportunity to enjoy something because they don't ever really give themselves a break. Maybe we want to lift their spirits but feel powerless to do so.

Ultimately the point of a gift is to give something that's about more than material value - it's about a gesture that truly conveys the words 'I'm thinking of you'.

Gifts for good reason

'Expected' gifts - birthday presents, anniversary gifts, Christmas gifts, wedding presents, new baby gifts, engagement presents - anything that's for a specific celebration, is wonderful. However, it's the 'just because' gifts that so often make the biggest impact, and these are the ones where I find most people want to say something without words.

Perhaps you want to impress someone you admire or celebrate someone who means the world to you. Maybe you want to thank a colleague, or tell a friend that you see how hard they're trying, so here's a reminder to take care of themselves - because someone loves them - just in case they forgot.

These are the things that need a little extra care - quietly sent but speaking volumes.

Gift ideas that speak volumes

Naturally, as a spa brand with gift vouchers for sale, the conversation around presents often comes up. We spend a lot of time thinking about who buys a spa gift voucher, when and why, and we tailor the offering to specific occasions.

However, part of the beauty of spa gift vouchers is that they can be for any reason whatsoever, and while I as an individual, and we as a group, like nothing more than a big celebration, it remains the 'just because' reasons that I always find so beautiful.

How do you convey everything you want to say in one gift? For me, it comes back to those words about how you make someone feel. Despite being a business, I think one of the things that has always made Spabreaks.com stand out is that we believe wholeheartedly in what we do.

Spa experiences are a really powerful way to connect - with yourself and with others. Their ability to change how you feel never ceases to amaze me. It's a kind of self-care that few of us give ourselves often enough, whether it's simply because we've been busy or because life has thrown us a few curveballs and we need an hour, a day, a weekend to stop and breathe. However, because that kind of care is so often seen as a luxury or an indulgence, it's something we often need permission from other people to let ourselves have.

So, when it comes to giving gifts with meaning, my advice to others is to do as I do. Whatever the occasion, whoever it’s for, the next time you want to tell someone - ‘happy birthday’, ‘happy anniversary’, ‘thank you’, ‘thinking of you’, ‘I miss you’, or even ‘I love you’, don't just say it. Say it with actions, say it with experiences and maybe even say it with Spabreaks.com.