How to Give Mindfully This Christmas

The way things are going in the world, it’s easy to become a little grinchy about Christmas.

Isn’t it just another commercialized holiday, created for the sole purpose of draining our wallets and bank accounts?

Why should I have to buy mindless gifts for people I barely know—isn't that incredibly wasteful?

As someone who still enjoys taking part in the festivities, I can’t help but think there is a better way to do Christmas—a more mindful way of giving and celebrating.

What is mindful giving?

To me, giving mindfully simply means putting some extra thought into what you are buying and how it will affect not just the gift receiver, but our planet too.

Here are some tips on how to give mindfully this Christmas.

1. Consider the person you are buying for

One of the best ways to be mindful with your gift giving is to choose a gift that aligns with someone’s values and personality.

For example, Googling ‘gift ideas for dad’ is most likely going to send you to websites selling garden tools and beer-humour gag gifts. But if your dad is more of a wine-sipping bookworm, a toolkit may not be the most thoughtful choice.

Likewise, if your sister is a minimalist you may want to respect that and choose a gift that will not take away from her desire to own less stuff.

Not everyone loves receiving gifts, but almost everyone appreciates the sentiment behind a gift that shows you understand them on a deep and personal level.

2. Keep it simple

Try to avoid hyped-up products if you’re not sure whether they will be appreciated. Afterall, it's the thought that counts, right?

Don’t be afraid to opt for simple, thoughtful gifts like something handmade (a card, an artwork, a piece of jewellery) or something that is unique and personalized, such as a framed photo.

You may also choose to give a ‘time spent together’ gift by offering to take your friend to their favourite restaurant, do a cooking class together or to see a musical or theatre show.

3. Support ethical and sustainable businesses

Shopping mindfully doesn’t mean you can’t buy nice things. In fact, it means you can buy even nicer things that will last years and years. If you want to buy something that you can gift wrap beautifully, instead of heading to the major retailers why not buy from local, sustainable brands?

This year has been tough on small businesses, so this is the perfect time to show your support to those that are making a greater positive impact on the world.

Not sure where to start? Here are some ethical and sustainable gift ideas to inspire you.

4. Choose digital or virtual gifts

Even for the hardest-to-buy for people in your life, you can’t go wrong with things like e-gift cards, eBooks, software subscriptions, streaming services memberships, online courses and music downloads. These are great zero-waste alternatives since there is no physical product or packaging to throw away.

Digital gifts can also come in the form of experience vouchers (cake decorating classes, skydiving lessons), meal delivery services or monthly subscription boxes. The options are endless, and it all comes down to what their interests are as well as your budget.

One other great benefit of giving a virtual gift is that you can purchase it online and receive it in your inbox straight away—ideal for those of us who do our Christmas shopping at the last minute.

5. Be tree smart

The most sustainable option for your Christmas tree is to buy a real tree with roots that can be re-planted once the Christmas season is over.

However, there are a number of factors to consider—including how the tree is disposed of and whether it is locally sourced. This article does a good job of unpacking the true environmental impacts of real trees vs artificial ones.

If (like me) you live in a country where real Christmas trees are difficult to come by, you can buy an artificial tree second hand.

Unfortunately, artificial trees are made from a combination of plastics and other materials so they cannot be recycled, but if you are able to use your tree for a minimum of 10 years, its environmental impact will be equal to that of a responsibly-disposed natural tree.

Tips on wrapping gifts sustainably

The unwrapping experience is one of the great joys of opening presents on Christmas Day, but sadly most gift wrap is non-recyclable and 2.3 million pounds of it ends up in landfill in the U.S alone.

Rather than foregoing it completely, here are a few ways to reduce your gift wrapping footprint.

1. Choose plain wrapping paper that isn’t themed

If you’re anything like me, you probably have several ‘themed’ rolls of gift-wrapping paper for special occasions including birthdays and Christmas. Ask yourself whether this is really necessary, or if it might be better to stick with one type of ‘all-purpose’ wrapping paper for all your gift-wrapping needs.

Plain brown paper has multiple uses for home craft projects and is a beautiful option for eco-friendly gift wrap. Just make sure you choose a brand that does not contain plastic!

Worried that plain = boring? There are plenty of ways to make plain gift wrap look fun and festive. If you’re especially creative, you can paint or draw your own designs to personalize your wrapping paper and make it unique—or you can finish off the presentation with twine, ribbon and even dried flowers.

2. Reuse those gift bags

The gift bags we receive from others have a habit of accumulating in the home—and this includes those fancy carry bags you get from certain retailers that you cannot bring yourself to throw away. Since most gift bags contain plastic, they are non-recyclable—but the good news is that you can reuse them. And reuse them you should! Not only are you saving money, you’re also helping the planet.

3. Use eco-friendly tape

It’s easy to forget something as ubiquitous as sticky tape is made of plastic and plastic, as we all know, is no good. Choose biodegradable tape, glue or twine for an eco-friendly alternative.

4. Or just skip the tape entirely

Who says you need tape to wrap presents? Martha Stewart has this excellent guide on how to wrap a gift without tape. You can also follow this helpful video tutorial.

5. Consider wrapping paper alternatives

There’s no need to go out and buy new wrapping paper if you don’t have any at home. Chances are you have a lot more paper in your house than you even realise!

Get creative and use newspaper or some of those old shipping boxes that are lying around the house. If you have some spare time and want to get crafty, you can paint over the newspaper and create your own festive designs.

You can also use a gift itself as the wrapping paper—like a scarf—something that can be kept and used many times over.

Giving mindfully shouldn’t take up more time or money than the more traditional ways of gifting. In fact, it should save you both—as well as give you the opportunity to spread joy in a more meaningful and lasting way.