15 mindful gifts under the Christmas tree

Updated on 06.12.2022

"I don’t need a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need …"

If that one thing is more mindfulness during Christmas shopping, then we’re here to help! Once again in 2022, we’re bringing you a beautiful collection of mindful gift ideas – with which you can bring mindful joy to both your loved ones and yourself. This way, you can avoid endless worrying and the high-performance sprint through crowded shopping malls three days before Christmas Eve. Let’s resist materialism together and still give the gift of well-being.

And because we like to lead by example, together with many wonderful partners, we’re once again giving away great discounts and no less than 67 prizes—everywhere you see the note "This is a chance to win". So be sure to read all the way to the end so you don’t miss out on any great chance to win.

• If you’d like to take part in one of the great giveaways, write a # and the prize in the comments, followed by why this particular gift would make you or your special someone happy. You can enter until 18 December 2022, which is the 4th Advent.  
• Our Customer Happiness Team will then put on their elf hats and contact you by email. After the giveaway ends, you’ll also find out who won in the comments. Good luck!

1. MORE SUCCESS, FULFILMENT AND GRATITUDE WITH THE 6-MINUTE-JOURNALS® 

Mindfulness and personal development are an incredibly dynamic duo. So what could be a better gift than one of the best-selling books worldwide for more mindfulness and personal development? Did you know that The 6-Minute-Diary is the only journal in the world whose effectiveness has been proven by its own scientific study?

This book reduces negative emotions and stress while increasing resilience, satisfaction, and self-efficacy. [1] [1] This is how The 6-Minute-Diary works: Lorenz, Timo, Algner, Mona, Binder, Benjamin/Frontiers in Psychology (2022): A Positive Psychology Resource for Students? Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the 6-Minute Diary in a Randomized Controlled Trial 

So many good things are packed into just a few gifts. If you’d rather give more motivation and fulfilment instead, The 6-Minute-Success Journal is your first choice. And if you’d rather help a child improve their mental health and self-love, then put The 6-Minute-Diary for Kids under the Christmas tree.

If you’d like to know a little more about the scientifically proven effects that a gratitude journal also brings (better sleep, improved heart health, and more), read here on. 

This is what you can win:

• We’re giving away one of the three beautiful 6-Minute-Journals® in a colour of your choice.

Write a # and the corresponding book title in the comments and explain why it would make you or someone you want to gift happy.

2. FAIRLY PRODUCED TEAS & SPICES FROM KARMAKOLLEKTIV

We have a real nose for good scents, and without good tea, there’s no work at our company, the 6-Minuten-Verlag. That’s why we can only recommend the wonderfully fragrant teas and spices from KarmaKollektiv . The team at this Berlin-based company is on a mission to give all their products the appreciation they deserve and focuses exclusively on fair-trade, premium organic goods and sustainable circular economy. And if you can’t function without coffee, you’ll naturally find fair-trade pick-me-ups from around the world there too.

3. A ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO THE 7MIND MEDITATION APP

Spend some time with yourself every day. – Dalai Lama

Take a deep breath … hold it … exhale slowly … and give a one-year subscription to 7Mind. It’s the only German meditation app that’s so good that it’s even subsidised by health insurance providers. Just 7 minutes a day is enough to switch from "mind full" to "mindful" and sustainably reduce stress. If you’d like to read about all the numerous benefits of meditation proven in many studies, you’ll find them explained clearly here. 

This is what you can win:

• 7Mind and we’re giving away no fewer than 25 one-year subscriptions to the meditation app to our loyal fans.

If this is exactly your thing or a perfect gift for someone, leave a #7Mind in the comments and write why it would be just right. 

4. A GRATITUDE LETTER TO YOUR LOVED ONES

“Happiness is the only thing that doubles when you share it." – Albert Schweitzer

Maybe you know the feeling? On your last holiday, you wanted to send postcards to your loved ones. But the weather and the sea were so wonderful that you completely forgot about it :-) Especially in the age of WhatsApp and the like, when everything is already faster digitally. Still, a handwritten card is a wonderful gift from the heart that is far too often underestimated.

If you also turn it into a gratitude letter, it not only leads to a closer relationship with the recipient of the message, but also helps improve all your relationships beyond the friendship of pen pals. Don’t you think? (Warning: spoiler!) Then convince yourself of the very latest research findings on this topic – in Episode 12 of the 6-Minute-Podcast. 

5. GIVE THE GIFT OF GROWTH FROM PRIMOZA – IN THE TRUEST SENSE OF THE WORD

Are you looking for a gift that doesn’t simply stay as it is, but grows and thrives? Then you should plant one of the regenerative products from Primoza under the Christmas tree ;-) The ideas range from calendars and growing kits to an entire flower meadow.

If you choose the Growing Calendar - Forgotten Varieties, you’re helping to bring lesser-known fruit and vegetable varieties back to the dinner table! As true fans of a growth mindset, we simply love and welcome this. 

6. MORE SATISFACTION, RECOMMENDED BY SCIENTISTS

Don’t we all want to be a little more satisfied and motivated? The German Society for Positive Psychology (DGPP) is researching exactly how this works – and how we can bring many strengthening qualities into our everyday lives. If you want to give a real nerd with truly brand-new scientific insights from positive psychology, the paid newsletter uPPdate is a great gift.

Does all of this sound familiar? Because we at the 6-Minuten-Verlag have the same goal, we also love working with the DGPP. We regularly hold joint giveaways for high-quality coaching sessions in our 6-Minute-Newsletter. And because Christmas is coming soon … 

This is what you can win:

• … this time we’re giving away 2 x 90 minutes of high-quality coaching worth several hundred euros each to a total of 37 readers. Whether it’s about personal relationships, finances, mental balance, or professional challenges, the graduates of the coaching training will support you or someone who could use an extra boost in personal development with three hours of free online coaching. 

Leave a #Coaching in the comments and write who it could help and why.

7. PLANT A TREE WITH PLANET-TREE

Would you like to make someone happy for at least 100 years? At planet-tree, you can have a tree planted in your loved one’s name and choose whether it should grow in Hesse or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The trees aren't put to any other use but serve to offset CO2 for several generations, so that our children and grandchildren can also enjoy our beautiful planet.

This is what you can save:

• For the benefit of the next generation, planet-tree has a discount code for you: With UrBestSelf15, you get 15% off all products in the Shop. 

Just a little side note: By the way, through the sale of the 6-Minute-Journals®, we have already planted 70,000 trees ourselves and are incredibly proud of that!

8. A HOME YOGA STUDIO THANKS TO YOGAMEHOME

Some people find their inner balance best at home, without having to go out into the hustle and bustle and into a yoga studio. For them, YogaMeHome, the most popular online yoga platform in the German-speaking world, is a perfect refuge. More than 1,000 videos, programmes, interviews, and articles are available there 24/7.

The basic idea: Knowledge about yoga and its health-promoting benefits should be accessible to as many people as possible in a simple and affordable way. This makes it easy to bring some of the most popular teachers from Germany, Austria, and the Schweiz right into your living room.

What you can win:

• Together with YogaMeHome, we're giving away a full annual membership to their diverse online program. 

Write #YogameHome and the reason why it is the perfect gift in the comments.

9. REFLECTION QUESTIONS BY THE SCHOOL OF LIFE

“You cannot lengthen your life, nor broaden it, but only deepen it.” – Gorch Fock

Have you ever asked someone what the kindest thing anyone had ever done for them was? Or if they had a particular technique for dealing with despair? The question card sets from The School of Life allow you to dive into different areas of life such as “Personality & Emotions”, “Love & Relationships” or “Life & Death” and help deepen your relationship with one another – and with yourself.

So, instead of the usual conversation at a raclette evening or over a glass of wine with friends on the couch, why not get down to the nitty-gritty? Open yourselves up to new questions about life and enjoy sharing things that might otherwise remain hidden.

At the 6-Minuten-Verlag , we have already had some deep conversations at team events using this question card set that made us completely lose track of time …

10.  A JUICE FAST FROM KALE&ME

There are people who love deprivation, or rather, fasting. By consciously giving something up, we can experience many things more intensely: our bodies, our thoughts, ourselves. If you would like to give someone such a break, Kale&Me juice fasts might be just what they need.

The company pays particular attention to using as many regional products as possible, and the value chain is almost entirely based in and around Hamburg. We find this – just like occasional fasting – quite mindful.

What you can win:

• As a perfect introduction to changing your diet, Kale&Me and we are giving away a 3-day classic juice fast.  

11. GIVE AWAY A GOAT WITH OXFAMUNVERPACKT

What sounds like a pretty crazy idea at first glance is actually not so crazy after all. With the help of the OxfamUnverpackt platform, you can give gifts to people who really do have everything, while also helping those who need them most. OxfamUnverpackt works with 3,000 local partners in 87 countries.

Here, in addition to unusual animals such as a goat, you can also give a set table, 10 young trees, or a child's school fees. This might delight not only the recipient, but also a complete stranger on the other side of the world. 

12. DO MORE FOR THE OCEANS WITH THE BACKPACKS FROM GOT BAG

Would you also like to help reduce the amount of plastic floating in the oceans? Then you can give away a practical, sustainable backpack made from ocean-impact plastic by GOT BAG.

GOT BAG is committed to more mindful use of natural resources. Through a clean-up programme in Indonesia, plastic is actively collected from the sea and at collection points on land, recycled, and turned into backpacks, bags, and accessories. It's a great idea that therefore deserves a place in our tips.

13. HANDMADE EXPERIENCES AT THE MAKERY

Are you looking for a gift that will allow the other person to make something tangible? Whether they have always wanted to try macramé (a knotting technique for textiles or jewellery originating in the Orient), create concrete art, or take part in a chocolate tasting?

At The Makery, you will find the right (online) workshops for (almost) every interest! Alternatively, there are also DIY boxes with which you can easily make bath bombs, cream cheese, or origami light chains at home. Just think outside the box and get someone working on their own or together with you!

14. GIVE AWAY A BEE SPONSORSHIP

For the sweet tooths, ready, set, go! Are your loved ones looking for an excuse to indulge in some delicious treats? Then we have the delicious solution: With a bee sponsorship, you get the most natural sweetness in the world – and you do a good deed at the same time. Give away a sponsorship for a bee colony and help ensure the pollination of cultivated and wild plants, thus helping to counteract the worldwide decline of bees.

As a thank you, the beekeepers send a few jars of honey to your sweet tooths with every partnership certificate – collected by your own bee colony.

15. DISCOVER NEW WAYS WITH THE GUIDEBOOK OF CHANCE

Detours increase local knowledge, says one piece of wisdom. But nowadays, when we travel, thanks to Google Maps and thousands of tips from people who have gone before us, we hardly leave anything to chance. The Guidebook of Chance is different.

With this original book, you can get completely different tips that, thanks to various city experiments, will enable you to have a completely different travel experience before, during, and after the trip. For example, you can go on a search for the ugliest souvenir in the city or let yourself be inspired by the must-sees of people you meet far away from the classic tourist attractions. So it is possible that your gift leads its recipient down one path or another, but only in a positive sense, of course :)

We have one more little surprise for everyone at the end. From now on, our 6-Minute-Diary and our6-Minute-Success Journal are available as a free digital trial. Simply sign up here for the trial of your choice and test yourself out happily for 6 days.

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Sometimes the path only reveals itself when you start walking it. – Paulo Coelho

Do you have enough ideas for Christmas? By giving, you also make yourself happy. After all, research has repeatedly confirmed that generosity and giving are closely linked to feelings of happiness in our brains. [2] [2] Generosity makes you happier: Soyoung Q. Park, Thorsten Kahnt, Azade Dogan, Sabrina Strang, Ernst Fehr & Philippe N. Tobler. Nature Communications 8 (2017): A neural link between generosity and happiness 

In this spirit, we wish you and everyone you have in mind a fulfilling Christmas.

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 Sources:

[1] How The 6-Minute-Diary works: Lorenz, Timo, Algner, Mona, Binder, Benjamin/Frontiers in Psychology (2022): A Positive Psychology Resource for Students? Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the 6 Minute Diary in a Randomized Control Trial

[2] Generosity makes you happier: Soyoung Q. Park, Thorsten Kahnt, Azade Dogan, Sabrina Strang, Ernst Fehr & Philippe N. Tobler. Nature Communications 8, Article number: 15964 (2017): A neural link between generosity and happiness