These creative gift ideas can help you choose a great present for someone in your life who has bipolar disorder. No matter their exact situation, you’ll likely find something on this list.
The options are endless when choosing gifts for people in your life. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to pick the best ones for those closest to you. And it can be even more difficult if you aren’t very close.
If you’re buying a present for someone with bipolar disorder, you may want to get them something to help their mental health, and this guide can help you.
The best gifts for someone with bipolar disorder demonstrate compassion and empathy. Consider thoughtful options that provide comfort, support, and distraction from negative thinking. This could also involve personalization, items designed to help with self-care, and gifts that are all about feeling empowered.
1. Essential oils
Essential oils can help reduce feelings of anxiety and boost mood.
Look for a lavender oil that’s all-natural and undiluted. From there, it may be a matter of picking the bottle that speaks to you.
2. Brain-sensing headband
A brain-sensing headband is a sensory device that provides insight into how the brain and body respond to meditation. This can help your loved one make better informed choices for their mental health.
Because of the technology involved in these headbands — some produce weather sounds based on the person’s mindset or enable the wearer to listen to their own heartbeat — they tend to be pricier gifts.
3. Personalized water bottle
A water bottle will encourage your loved one to drink plenty of fluid to stay hydrated. Choosing a personalized one is thoughtful and shows how much you care.
There are a ton of different options on the market, in all sizes and colors. Many also serve a dual purpose and can be used to store hot beverages like tea or coffee.
4. Foot massager
Massagers can help your loved one de-stress and find relaxation from the comfort of their home. They can ease aches and pains by massaging connective tissue, reducing stiffness, and improving circulation. When the body feels good, it’s easier to focus on positivity and overcoming mental health struggles.
If you want to get fancy, you might choose a massager with a remote control for ease of use or opt for one that heats up, adding another soothing element to the massage.
5. Books about bipolar disorder
Books about people with bipolar disorder overcoming challenges may inspire your loved one. Before choosing a book, consider reading online reviews to ensure it doesn’t contain any of your loved one’s triggers.
The memoir “An Unquiet Mind” by Kay Redfield Jamison, a clinical psychologist who specializes in and has bipolar disorder, may remind your loved one that they aren’t alone, while providing honest insight they can apply to their life.
6. Mindfulness cards
A deck of mindfulness cards can help your loved one find and maintain a positive mindset.
Cards that promote mindfulness, anxiety relief, meditation, relaxation, and more can help them find new techniques for coping. They can be a good way to help a person feel empowered as they gain a clearer focus and new mechanisms for getting through tough moments.
7. Weighted blanket
A weighted blanket can help ease anxiety and help with relaxation. The weight from the blanket provides pressure like human contact, helping the person feel soothed and embraced. It can offer a sense of security and connection to boost your loved one’s mindset.
8. Journals
Writing in a journal can be a beneficial way for your loved one to work through their emotions. They can write about what they’re grateful for, their coping methods for tough emotions, daily achievements, and anything else that comes to mind. Writing can be comforting and provide an outlet for negative feelings and overwhelming thoughts.
With so many journals to choose from, you can really try to find one you think suits your loved one, whether it’s a classic composition notebook, leather-bound journal, or motivational book with helpful prompts.
9. A high quality pillow
People with mental health conditions sometimes have trouble getting enough sleep. When they don’t sleep enough, it worsens their symptoms, leading to a harmful cycle. Choosing a high quality pillow can help them find comfort when they go to bed to get quality rest.
If you’re unsure of the person’s sleep position, consider choosing an ergonomic support pillow, which works for all sleep positions and can ease pain while allowing proper spinal alignment.
10. White noise machine
A sound machine can help your loved one get a good night’s rest. These machines provide calming sounds that may help them interrupt repetitive thoughts or negative feelings. Relaxing noise can encourage a better sleep routine as it eases stress and anxiety and cuts out distracting and disruptive sounds.
White noise machines can also be used during meditation, yoga, stretching, or while working to drown out other noise and provide a soothing background sound.
Choosing a gift for someone with bipolar disorder is easier than you may have originally thought. Focusing on health and wellness, comfort, self-care, and positivity can make a difference and help you find a great gift.
Your loved one will appreciate the thought you put into the gift, a potential immediate mood boost. If you can, deliver it in person so you can spend time with them as well. Often, that’s the best gift you can give.