According to the Association of Psychological Science, cold offices have been linked to lower productivity, while comfortably warm temperatures improve productivity. It makes a lot of sense if you stop to think about it. If your environment is in any way uncomfortable, you’re going to find it hard to focus. You’re going to find it challenging to get anything done.
The problem, of course, is that different people have different notions of what constitutes ‘comfortable.’ A reasonable temperature for one person might be near to freezing for another.
We’ve all had that one coworker who always seems to be freezing. The person who, no matter how high you turn up the office thermostat, still manages to shiver. Now that we’ve hit the winter months, it’s going to get even worse for them.
Why not show them you’re thinking of them? Whether you’re purchasing something for an office gift exchange or getting a gift for a friend, here are nine holiday gift ideas to help beat the cold this season.
Something to Warm the Feet
Most of us have been there at least once. You get out of bed on a cold winter morning, and the moment your feet touch the floor, everything goes blank. It’s freezing.
As anyone who struggles with lower temperatures will tell you, it’s always the feet that seem to get cold first. And it’s always the feet that are the last to warm up. That’s why our first gift recommendation is something to help with that—a nice set of slippers, perhaps, or maybe a few pairs of extra-warm, extra-comfortable socks.
A Heated Blanket or Quilt
A blanket or quilt is a great way to battle the cold when you’re working from home. A heated blanket or quilt is even better. Depending on which model you get, they can keep the user toasty enough that even if you turned off the heat, they’d still be fine.
Just make sure you explain the risks commonly associated with electric blankets, such as how overuse could cause a fire.
Gloves
Have you ever tried to type when your hands are cold? It doesn’t work so well. Fortunately, there’s a solution—and it doesn’t involve going to war over the thermostat.
There are now plenty of businesses that are selling gloves specifically made for use indoors. Fingerless gloves allow you to retain a bit of manual dexterity while keeping your hands warm. Extra-thin carbon fiber gloves let you still use a touchscreen while wearing them. And if you really want to go overboard, you can even grab yourself a pair of USB-rechargeable heated gloves.
Some Massage Gadgets
How’s your posture?
If you’re like most people, you just shifted uncomfortably in your chair in an effort to correct yourself. Don’t let it get to you. As reported by The New York Post, 80% of Americans experience back problems as a result of poor posture at some point in their lifetime.
The only gift that really helps with that long-term is coupons for a chiropractor or massage therapist. In the short-term, though? There’s plenty of heated massage gadgets you can give someone—a neck massager, for example.
They might not be able to erase the effects of poor posture completely, but they can help prevent the problem from getting too much worse.
A Nice Hat
It’s relatively common knowledge that we lose more heat through our head than through any other part of our body. It’s one of the reasons it’s so important to keep yourself covered when you go outside. It’s also why a hat could be the perfect gift for your chilly co-worker.
After all, who doesn’t like hats?
A New Mug (And Stuff to Go With It)
Tea and coffee are how many of us get through the day—which is what makes a brand new coffee mug such a great gift. If you want to take things a step further, you can also grab a warmer and something the recipient can drink.
A Custom Hoodie
Last but certainly not least, here’s one for those of you that know the recipient very, very well—a custom sweater created in BlueCotton’s award-winning design studio. You can customize it however you see fit and have it at your door just in time for the holidays—the perfect way to show you really care.