A gift guide for layoff season
I’ve put together some gift ideas for the important people in your life who might’ve recently been laid off.
When I say “layoff season”, I’m not talking about any particular time of year, since it seems to be all the time, always. But for those recently laid off, the holidays can be an acutely tough time. There’s the inevitable triggering questions from extended family and family friends. “What do you do? How’s work? Oh, you were laid off? Have you tried [insert piece of advice you’ve definitely tried]?”
There’s the added expectation around buying gifts, and when you’ve just lost your main and likely only source of income, that’s stressful.
It’s also a time when people (read: hiring managers) are probably not getting back to you quickly, if at all. And so you’re left idle with your thoughts, and chances are they’re gravitating toward, “I don’t have a job right now.”
I’ve put together some gift ideas for the important people in your life who might’ve recently been laid off. This is not exhaustive, and no gift is a solution to a sudden loss of income, health insurance, and, while flawed, a sense of self-worth. Unless of course you ARE a hiring manager and your gift is a well-paying job with benefits and a healthy work culture.
But for everyone else, here are some ideas:
A Postmates fund: You and some friends/family can all donate money to a collective Postmates gift card. When you’re recently laid off and feeling deflated, or even depressed, cooking nourishing meals is not an exciting or energizing venture. Ordering in your favorite take-out on your friend’s dime is a daymaker.
A health insurance fund: If you’re on COBRA or scrambling to find independent health insurance, you might find it’s a costly monthly bill that you suddenly don’t have the funds for. A “gift card” (read: Venmo or Paypal donation) from friends to help pay for your health insurance in the immediate aftermath of a layoff is an actual lifesaver.
A mental health fund: This might be better suited for people in your life who you know would view this as the gem that it is—free therapy—and not as a commentary on their mental health. Bonus points if you also do the free labor of finding some good options for those that don’t already have a therapist.
Fancy groceries or a farm box: While some might find cooking a drain, especially when they’re already feeling down, others might see it as therapeutic. And now they do have some time to cook a beautiful, elaborate meal in the middle of the weekday. Consider stopping by with a bag of ingredients from a specialty grocer or ship them a farm box. (I would be elated to get a surprise Flamingo Estate delivery.)
Gift card to a local independent bookstore: After I was laid off, it was tempting to want to spend every waking hour applying for jobs, networking, budgeting, making spreadsheets (?), or anything that felt productive. And then a friend who had gone through layoffs right before me reminded me to pause and carve out time to do things that I enjoy. Like finally reading that book. And even spending some quality time browsing through every aisle and every author at the local bookstore on a Tuesday afternoon.
Fancy coffee or tea and a fancy coffee maker or hot water kettle: Something lovely to wake up to in the morning. I recommend a roast from their local coffeeshop and, if money isn’t an object, a piece of equipment and ceramicware from the SSENSE coffee and tea selection.
Fancy non-alcoholic aperitifs and fancy stemware: In case they want to sip on something luxurious and feel like the main character of a romantic dramedy. I really like Ghia, Töst, and Seedlip, and these dot champagne coupes.
A reminder to slow down: Two books that come to mind are Rainesford Stauffer’s All the Gold Stars and Jenny Odell’s How to Do Nothing.
Logins to your streaming services: One of the first things I did when I was laid off was reevaluate which subscriptions I wanted while I was tightening my budget. It’s hard to rationalize the (increasingly more expensive) monthly costs for all of the things (Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime, Disney+, Apple TV, and even Peacock and Starz for some delightful one-off binges) when you’re on the job hunt, but it’s also the time where you really need that mind-numbing escape. Consider sharing your logins and your favorite binges.
Fancy gym membership: You know where I’d love to spend a Monday late morning when I’ve applied to all the new jobs and am sitting staring at my screen? Equinox. Or some other really nice gym that’s clean and has all the best equipment and a ton of free classes and access to expensive hand lotion. Or if the gym isn’t their thing, a class pack for their favorite workout studio.
New HOKAs: I love HOKAs. I think they’re the comfiest, cutest shoes to go on really long walks in. Someone might spend a lot of time on introspective walks post-layoff, and you can treat them to the joy of slipping into the cushiest sneakers.
Beautiful knitwear: There’s something so soothing and luxurious about handmade pieces of knitwear, but they tend to be on the more expensive side. As they should be! They’re a labor of love. Even if someone doesn’t have a reason to get dressed up (waist up) at the moment, a soft piece of knitwear is a nice change of pace from athleisure without sacrificing comfort. I really love URGF and Corridor for investment pieces.
A gaming console: Some days you might want to get cozy on the couch and enter an all-consuming new world. A Switch is great for those that want to play Animal Crossing or Zelda wherever they happen to be splayed out that day.
A skateboard: What better time to learn a cool new hobby? Don’t forget to include protective gear. I really like Arbor Collective’s board designs.
Standing mixer: Also a great time to get into elaborate baking afternoons. I think we should make layoff cakes happen. It’s essentially a gorgeous, delicious, handmade cake you make for yourself in the weeks after a layoff to slow down and remind yourself that you can make beautiful things during the bleakest times. My partner got me a SMEG and it’s perfect. For someone that might already have one, consider getting them the pasta making attachments.
Sunrise lamp: I’m so curious about these, and everyone who has one in my life swears by them. I’ve always been a bit worried that the gentle little kisses of artificial sunlight wouldn’t wake me up from a deep slumber and I’d miss an important morning meeting. That might not be the case, but being freed up of any early morning meetings is a good time to test one of these out and potentially adopt them into your new morning and evening routines. Plus, they’re pretty. I hear great things about the Hatch and I love the look of the Loftie.
A gratitude journal: The meaningful touch here is that you fill in the first page for them with a list of all the things you appreciate about them that aren’t tied to work so that they remember their worth isn’t relative to their productivity and that they’re so much more than their job.
Have you been laid off before? I’m working on an issue showcasing the first things people have done right after layoffs to take care of themselves.
If you’d like to share, send me a note at melanie.ehrenkranz@gmail.com
Thank you for reading this issue of Un/well. This is a reader-supported newsletter and I appreciate you.
Follow Un/well on Instagram 📲
Want to collab with Un/well? Send me an email 💌 melanie.ehrenkranz@gmail.com
Header and illustrations by Olivia Fu