News Beat
Practical Gifts Are Often The Better Choice. Here’s Why
One thing about me is that I love a trinket. Since I was around 8 years old, I’ve collected figurines of fairies, cats, and various small animals. They’ve moved with me throughout the 20+ homes I’ve lived in and have adorned many a bookshelf. I love them.
However, now that I’m in my mid-30′s, I’ve found myself hoping for more practical gifts. Ones that make my day-to-day life easier, ones that feel like a little luxury at the end of a long day. Even just a really, really good blanket.
It feels boring to ask for them though. Isn’t Christmas supposed to magical? Aren’t the gifts I get at this time meant to be whimsical? How whimsical can a foot spa really be?
It turns out, practical gifts can often create more happiness
While it is lovely to receive a beautiful piece of jewellery or a sweet trinket, they don’t often make much of a lasting impact on your quality of life. In fact, according to behavioural psychologist, Jo Hemmings, who is working in collaboration with Argos, the human brain has re-evaluated what generosity feels like in 2025.
She explains: “This trend signals a sophisticated shift in how we process generosity.
“It moves beyond a one-off ‘wow’ moment on Christmas morning and taps into the psychological principle of ’everyday reinforcement. When you gift an item – like an air fryer or a hair styler – that integrates seamlessly into daily life, the practicality becomes a positive daily habit.
“Significantly, this creates a loop where the positive feeling associated with the gift is re-experienced daily. Usefulness, therefore, becomes the new luxury because it is the most effective pathway to sustained happiness.”
Research from Argos backs this up. In a survey of 2,000 adults, Argos and Censuswide found that 72% of Brits agree that they love it when a gift gets used regularly, while the positive feeling associated with a useful gift is estimated to last a year longer than an item used just once.
So, if you’re worried like I am about asking for or even giving a ‘boring’ practical gift, just know that it will likely have a longer-lasting impact.
