Why seek balance at Christmas time
The holidays aren't just about the tree or the perfect dinner table. They're about the space we create together. You may have noticed that the most beautiful moments are often neither expensive nor ostentatious: morning coffee in your pajamas, watching fairy tales, an evening stroll through the city, baking cookies together, or a few minutes of silence at midnight mass.
- Did you know that... we remember events associated with emotions much longer than material things? That's why most people remember specific Christmas moments rather than the gifts themselves.
It is therefore no surprise that more and more people are turning to Christmas based on experience, peace, and closeness.
- Tip: Before the holidays, try writing two lists: "What makes me happy during the holidays" and "What I do just because I'm supposed to." The difference can be liberating.
Gifts that have real impact
Less stuff doesn't mean giving nothing. It means choosing gifts that enrich rather than burden. Sometimes it's relaxation, other times adventure, creativity, or learning new skills.
Experience gifts are great precisely because they don't fill up a drawer, but rather a memory. What's more, you can cleverly solve all of this with gift vouchers.
You can give the gift of adventure – such as a tandem flight with Expediční lety, a ride in a Tesla or Porsche, or a peaceful cruise with Cruise Club. And if you want a really wide selection, you will find an almost endless range of experiences for every type of personality on the websites Adrop, Allegria, SkvěléČesko.cz, and Zážitky.cz.
For those who mainly need to slow down, wellness at Infinit centers, massages at Tawan, or deeply relaxing Ayurvedic treatments at Ananda Spa may be ideal. Others will enjoy staying in beautiful surroundings – for example, at Apartments Bašta, Orea Hotels & Resorts, or Wellness apartments in Český ráj.
Creative souls can try courses at Liška Mazaná, art schools Art House Atelier or ArtMoment, or a photography workshop at iPhoneFoto. If you want a truly personal experience, a photo shoot with Veronika Vajdiaková can turn an ordinary day into a little ritual of self-confidence.
A more practical but still personal option could be health care—such as a fitness test at the VO2max clinic or diagnostics from Macromo. If you prefer gifts that bring quiet, long-lasting joy, go for a book voucher from Martinus or high-quality glasses from Lentiamo.
Christmas that hurts the planet less
True minimalism is about a way of thinking: What is really worth owning? What brings long-term joy? And what would we not miss?
Choosing local, handmade, or more eco-friendly gifts is one of the easiest ways to make Christmas a little lighter—not just for us, but also for the planet. Such gifts tend to be of higher quality, more personal, and often carry a story that you cannot buy with a regular commercial gift.
But there is another aspect worth considering: charity and social enterprises. This could be buying products from sheltered workshops, supporting small community projects, purchasing from organizations that employ disadvantaged people, or even symbolically adopting animals or contributing to specific causes. Such gifts often bring double the joy – to the recipient and to someone who really needs support.
- Tip: Have a creative evening at home and make gifts together. In families, circles of friends, and teams, this usually brings more joy than shopping malls.
Peace and quiet as the best gift
Christmas doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to look like something out of a catalog. The most valuable thing we can give each other is peace—real peace, not the staged kind.
- Did you know that... consciously planning days off and empty spaces in your calendar helps reduce stress and improve your holiday experience? It gives you space to breathe.
- Tip: This year, try to let go of at least one thing that tends to drain you every year, and instead add more of what energizes you.
How to incorporate benefits
Maybe you don't want to run around the shops this year. Maybe you want to give something personal. Or, on the contrary, treat yourself to a moment of pampering.
Benefits can be a great tool: they allow you to choose experiences, wellness, courses, tickets, stays, and creative activities without stress and with great variety. And that's exactly what fits the philosophy of "less stuff, more life."
Here are some specific tips you can use right away:
- Treat your loved ones to a weekend in the mountains, a massage, or a wellness day.
- Give the gift of an experience—a flight, a ride, a cruise, a creative workshop, or a photography course.
- Support local artists, handmade products, or help those in need.
- Make a gift with your own hands.
- Take a day off for yourself—rest is also a gift.
A gift can be big or small—and still hit the mark. If you allow yourself to do a little less this year, you may find that this is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
