Buying a gift for someone’s birthday, or someone’s wedding can sometimes be quite a simple thing to do. You know the parameters around gift-giving on these occasions and the kind of emotions that are involved with the process. But when you’re thinking about gifts for someone who is grieving, it can be much trickier to gauge the right item.
Sympathy gift ideas can be much tougher to think of than others, which is why we’ve written this handy list of 10 ideas.
These ideas aren’t just thoughtful, but they’re helpful; they will be practical choices that can help this person through a particularly challenging part of their life.
1. Gifts For Someone Who is Grieving: A Photo Book
Everyone grieves differently, and some people won’t want to be reminded of what’s happened. But for those who have lost someone, occasionally the best gift you can provide them with is the memories of better times.
A personalized photo book is perfect for this. You can handpick photographs, from a wedding day or holidays together, that remind the person who’s grieving of the memories they’ll be able to cherish forever.
The personal aspect of this gift is important, as it shows you’ve really thought and considered what your recipient would appreciate during this challenging time.
2. A Helpful Book About Grief
When grieving, many of us can feel alone, or at loss with how to keep moving forward each day. One key way in which many people help to understand these feelings is through reading appropriate literature.
There are numerous non-fiction and fiction books on the market today that cope specifically with grief and loss. They can help show a wider perspective of grieving, and make your recipient feel as if they are not alone in the pain they feel.
3. A Condolence Hamper
If you’re struggling to think of a specific item, creating a condolence hamper can be a great way of showing someone that you’re thinking of them. The great thing about a hamper is that you can add several different smaller gifts into one package.
You could purchase the chocolates you know they love, as well as other snacks or food items, or a cheeky bottle of wine. No matter what your recipient enjoys, you can place it inside a condolence hamper.
You can also send it alongside a thoughtful message, which adds that extra personal touch.
4. Ornaments or Personalised Christmas Decorations
If this is a gift for someone grieving around Christmas, a good idea is to send them a personalized Christmas decoration. This could be a bauble or another Christmas ornament that can be hung from their tree.
You can include a heartwarming photograph, of you as friends or of the person they’re grieving for. That way, they can keep it and cherish its presence on their tree every single Christmas.
5. A Getaway Retreat Voucher
Sometimes people who are grieving just want to escape their day-to-day life for a while, to forget about the pains they’re suffering by being at home without a significant other or parent.
The best way you can help them do this is by purchasing a getaway voucher. Spa retreats often have voucher systems in place where you can purchase and send it to them directly for use.
Or, you could purchase a retreat for two and join them, to spend some quality time together and help them move forward.
6. Repurposed Gifts
These can come in all shapes and sizes. Maybe you could create a blanket out of old t-shirts, or a teddy bear out of worn clothes.
This is a way of taking the belongings that someone who’s passed once had, and repurposing them as a means of remembering them. There are very few more personal gift ideas than this, and you can get creative with what you think would be most appreciated by your recipient.
7. A Gym Subscription or Cleaning Service Discount
Another approach to these bereavement gift ideas is something that will help them get out of the house, take up a new hobby, or take some of their jobs away from them so they can have time to themselves.
If they’re particularly active, purchasing a gym subscription is a good way to get them out of the house and exercising. Or, a voucher for a cleaning service can help make sure their house gets cleaned, leaving them to focus on more important things like their own health.
8. A Journal and a Pen
One way that some people find helpful to cope with grief is to write their thoughts and feelings down. You could buy a personal journal and a quality pen, to allow them the tools to manage this.
They can then set these components aside and designate them specifically for writing about their grief if they feel it would be helpful. Writing can help some people through grief, but you could also buy them a sketchbook if they prefer drawing or other artistic activities.
9. A Donation to a Worthy Cause
Sometimes people who are grieving would prefer not to receive a gift directly at all. If this is the case, a good way to show you’re thinking of them is to make a donation to a worthy cause on their behalf.
There are numerous charities and organizations worldwide that are in need of donations at all times. You could choose one that means something important to the recipient, to show you’re supporting them through this time whilst respecting their wish not to receive any gifts.
10. A Yoga Mat
Yoga has been proven to help some individuals with coping with both grief and stress in life.
If you know they already like yoga but don’t have the items to do it at home, consider purchasing a yoga mat. It can be a great way to encourage them to relax and take time out of the day to meditate and slow things down.
Where Can I Find More Gift Ideas?
We hope these 10 gifts for someone who is grieving have inspired you, either to use one of these ideas or spur your own gift-giving ideas of your own.
If you are searching for more gift ideas for other occasions, make sure to take a look through our website. We curate many gifts on our website for certain celebrations, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for be sure to contact us directly.