Why you should stop buying Christmas gifts

How many hours are you spending this season to buy gifts for your loved ones? How much money are you doling out? Have you ever wondered why you do it? Is this the best way to make them happy? Is this what you actually want to give them and is it what they really need?

Some of us spend so much time focused on “important” adult stuff that we forget to spend quality time with our loved ones. Even if we live under the same roof, we are often too busy to listen to what our partner or kids are telling us, and we forget to ask them how they feel or what they need. We watch TV, scroll through social media and do our own work instead. Some of us don't even know how to express or demonstrate our love - this is too complicated…

Surprisingly, we all get crazy at certain times of the year, especially during Christmas. Suddenly, we have a real sense of urgency to compensate for all the things we haven’t done during the year and to show everyone how much we love them. But instead of listening to our hearts and satisfying our real needs, we just follow what consumerist culture encourages us to do: we buy expensive gifts even if they are not useful or are beyond our budget, just because our loved ones "deserve" it.

But, does it really work? Usually, it's just an illusion, providing empty happiness that lasts a few hours and then we feel empty again.

This all happens because we are going in the wrong direction. Material gifts will never compensate what our souls actually need: love.

Sometimes we make easy things very complicated. We think that buying something will make us happier, but what we actually need is to give and receive love, listen and be listened to, help and be helped, offer gratitude and be grateful...

These are the best gifts that you can give to your loved ones, these small things to feed your soul, enrich your life and make you a truly joyous person.

Still want to give a gift to your loved ones? Here you have some ideas about meaningful gifts: