23 Thoughtful & Useful Gifts for People with Depression

You’re here because you have a loved one with depression and you want to give them a gift that will help them.

That is absolutely commendable. Taking the time to be thoughtful about what gift to give someone with depression shows how great of a friend you are.

The vast majority of the time, gifts for people with depression can be the same gifts that you would give anyone else. Remember, it is the thought that counts.

But you may want to go the extra mile and really investigate what might help them. So, I’m here to help you!

I’m a licensed social worker, and I’ve helped hundreds of people with depression, so I do know a thing or two about what they may find thoughtful and useful.

So, let’s get to those gifts!

*This post may contain affiliate and/or referral links. It doesn’t cost you anything extra to use the provided links to purchase any of the below products or services. Please check out my disclosure policy.*

Best Gifts for Someone with Depression

Just a little preface about these gifts. Some of these gifts are things that you can also do yourself for your loved one or things that you can purchase.

These gifts don’t just have to be for someone with depression. You can also buy these gifts for someone who is going through a hard time (such as grief or going through a breakup).

A subscription to TheraBox

TheraBox is a subscription box created by therapists to help everyone incorporate a little bit of self-care into their lives. It costs $30 a month and is filled with 6 to 8 self-care goodies.

Essential oil diffusor with essential oils

I love essential oils because I love having an amazing-smelling home. While essential oils won’t cure depression, they can certainly help in making an environment a more pleasant place to be in.

Make this gift a little bit better and share some memories that you associate with your loved one and each smell.

Help them get a bit creative

One of the things that people that I’ve talked to who have depression often miss (and say that they want) is a creative outlet. But it can be difficult to think about what exactly to do.

Some simple gifts for helping your loved one find their creative spark again is coloring books, a painting set, a musical instrument, or a drawing pad.

A light therapy lamp

The idea behind light therapy lamps is that they simulate natural daylight and helps to increase mood. This light therapy lamp has easy touch controls, brightness adjustment, and is small enough to put on a desk or counter.

The Self-Care Toolkit

The Self-Care Toolkit is a digital + printable workbook that I created to help people with creating an empowering and effective self-care practice. It is over 40 pages of self-care tips, advice, and worksheets. You can find the Self-Care Toolkit in my Etsy shop!

This is a good gift for a friend with depression if they are interested in working on their self-care.

A gift card/certificate for a massage

Massages are a wonderful way for someone with depression to get out of the house and indulge in some self-care. Massages can be seen as pretty luxurious and not many people, especially if they have depression, would want to spend the money on it. Show your loved one that they deserve a bit of luxury with a gift card or gift certificate to get a massage.

For this, I would recommend a Spafinder gift card. These gift cards can be used at thousands of massage therapy centers around the country, and you can also buy spa products from the Spafinder site.

Create a DIY spa day for them

If getting a gift card or gift certificate for a massage isn’t in your budget, you can still give them a little piece of the spa at home. Here are a couple of things that I recommend.

• A foot soaking basin
• Lavender foot soak
• Sheet masks
• Baby Foot foot peels (I’ve used this multiple times. It is AMAZING)
• Hand masks

Load everything into a cute basket and have it delivered (or deliver it yourself).

A journal (and a nice pen)

Writing down their thoughts can be a wonderful way for someone with depression to feel a little bit better. Researchers have found that writing down your thoughts can help ease stress and be effective in understanding trauma.

This gift for someone with depression is super simple and easy to find, no matter what. You probably have an empty journal or two around your house. Don’t forget a nice pen. I love this one and these.

To make it extra special, write a note for them in the journal, letting them know how much you care about them.

Give them a piece of meaningful jewelry

Many people who are feeling depressed often feel that people don’t care about them or that they are a burden to the people that they love.

A piece of jewelry can be a great reminder of how much someone loves you. I personally wear jewelry that was given to me by my family as a reminder of our connection.

A way that you can make this gift more meaningful is by getting it engraved. You can find many different engraved jewelry pieces on Amazon (like this) or on Etsy.

Weighted Blanket

A weighted blanket can be a comforting gift for someone with depression. The idea of a weighted blanket is that it mimics a therapeutic technique called deep pressure stimulation, which can be helpful for relieving pain and anxiety and increasing someone’s mood.

My sister has a weighted blanket that she got for her birthday last year, and she sleeps with it every night. She says that it helps her fall asleep faster. So if you’re loved one has depression AND problems with sleeping, this may be the perfect gift for them.

MONQ aromatherapy pens

MONQ aromatherapy pens are like carrying around an essential oil diffusor in your pocket. What I like most about MONQ pens (besides the calming scents) is that they give me something to do when I’m experiencing anxiety. You can also check out my full review of MONQ pens.

Have their groceries delivered

Sometimes, when you are in a deep depression, it can be hard to take care of yourself, which includes going to the store and getting groceries. But, good nutrition is incredibly important, especially when battling depression.

If you have a grocery delivery service in your area, why not ask your loved one what they need and have it delivered to them? I personally use Instacart, but if you have Amazon Prime, you can also get groceries delivered from Whole Foods.

A subscription to the Calm app

The Calm app is a well-known mental health app that provides meditations, calming music, and stories. It offers a free 7-day trial, so you may want to try it out before gifting your loved one a subscription. Calm costs $69.99 a year.

A guided depression and anxiety workbook

This anxiety and depression workbook was created by a psychologist and has 65 worksheets, tips, and exercises to help people with depression improve their mood.

If the person that you love is in therapy or even thinking about therapy, this workbook would be a great supplement.

Hire them a house cleaning service

Even if they only come once a month, this would be a huge help and an amazing gift for someone with depression. Many of the people with depression that I’ve spoken with have told me that they have a hard time keeping up with household chores.

You can easily find a cleaning service using a site like Groupon.

This would also make a fantastic gift for someone with a chronic illness or chronic pain. As someone with chronic pain who can barely stand for more than a few minutes, this would be one of the best gifts I could ask for.

A subscription to Headspace

Headspace is another well-known self-care app that offers meditations for everything from sleeping to working out. It has a free two-week trial and costs $69.99 a year or $12.99 a month.

A memory foam mattress topper

These things are fantastic! A memory foam topper would be wonderful for a person who has depression so that they can be super comfortable when they are trying to fall asleep. I mentioned this before, but insomnia and trouble sleeping can be a symptom of depression.

Anything that could help them fall asleep faster or at least be more comfortable while they’re lying in bed would make a great gift.

Buy them some plants

Plants are a wonderful way to spruce up your friend’s environment and bring them joy. Having something to take care of can often help someone with depression feel better.

I recommend Marimo Moss Balls or a couple of succulents. Both types of plants are super easy to take care of. I have a couple of Marimo Moss balls named Thor and Loki.

Buy them a book (or two)

Books can be a nice way to get out of what someone is currently feeling and into a world that is different. Sometimes we need an escape. If you know your loved one who has depression loves books, get them another book or two.

Make it even more memorable by giving them a card or note explaining why you chose the book for them. If they really love books, consider getting them a subscription to Kindle Unlimited or Audible.

An adorable Warmie

Warmies are super cute microwavable plushies that smell like lavender. These comforting little plushies would make a great gift for someone with depression especially if they love plushies and lavender.

A back and neck massager

Depression can often cause physical symptoms such as neck, back, and shoulder pain. If your friend or loved one can’t get to a massage center, this massager does the trick.

I have chronic pain, and I’ve used this for many years. I also bought one for my mother, who has a labor-intensive job. We both love it.

Make them a self-care box

A self-care box is a beautifully decorated box full of things that your loved one could use when they don’t feel like getting out of bed. This post explains how to create one and suggests some helpful products to put in the box. This makes a great gift for depression because it is something that you created especially for them.

Pay for their therapy

Paying for their therapy would be a wonderful gift for someone with depression, especially if they are not currently in therapy. Now, you never want to push someone into therapy, so you may want to talk with them about it before you do this. I recommend Talkspace or BetterHelp if they prefer texting, or you can look at this list to find other therapy options.

What do you think about these gifts for people with depression? If you have depression, do you think these are the best gifts for depression?

What gift would you give to a friend with depression?

Let me know in the comments.

If this post helped you, consider buying me a coffee!