17 College Graduation Gift Ideas for Wellness

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Precursor

The mental health memo of the day is: it’s that time of year again- graduation. And with graduation, comes graduation gifts. And with graduation gifts, comes stress over what to buy. This is where I come in with this ultimate college graduation gift ideas list!

Graduation is such a special moment for everyone involved in the process. It’s the end of an old chapter and the beginning of a new one.

It’s also when graduates start transitioning into the world of full-time jobs in their fields instead of listening to lectures and writing papers all day.

Ironically enough, I’m actually graduating this year myself! I finally finished my Bachelors of Social Work after 4 painful but meaningful years, and I would definitely enjoy some rewards for my labor.

I think that this makes me eligible to provide some ideas to those that want to give presents to their new favorite graduates!

Regardless of whether you’re a friend, parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, there is a graduation gift idea for you here at all price ranges.

I’ve also categorized the items in the order of self-care, health, and growth to help you further weed out the perfect gift for your graduate!

**This post contains affiliate links which means I get a very small commission from every sale made at no extra cost to you. However, this does not compromise my integrity and I genuinely only recommend things I believe in and/or use myself. All the money goes back into my blog and channel so if you do use the links, thank you for supporting me :)**

Why Wellness-Focused Graduation Gifts?

You might be wondering why pick gifts focused on wellness over other things.

Well, personally I think that health triumphs all. If we cannot be physically and psychologically well, how can we have the strength and capability to find new jobs, start in a new field, and then excel once we’re in it?

Many college and university students pick up bad habits while in school. From pulling constant all-nighters, not exercising, eating poorly, to neglecting their bodies, there’s nothing a graduate won’t do to meet their deadlines and get those high marks.

This has huge implications for one’s wellness, hence why it is so important graduates break these habits ASAP after leaving school.

What’s great about the timing of graduation is that most graduates are in their early twenties. This means it’s the optimal time to set new, healthy habits as our brains are more receptive and open to change.

These new habits will follow them into the rest of their lives, helping them to lead better, longer, and happier livelihoods.

Lastly, many graduates are stressed and burned out (please take it from me). Many are in desperate need of some TLC which means wellness-focused graduation gifts are going to be optimal and highly appreciated by your graduate.

Self-care College Graduation Gift Ideas:

I can guarantee you that most graduating students have had very little time to practice any form of self-care over the past few years they’ve been at school.

And I also probably don’t need to tell you that self-care is absolutely essential to our overall wellbeing.

This is why giving self-care graduation gifts can be a really nice way to celebrate someone’s new chapter while also helping them to stay healthy in their new one.

Here are my favorite graduation gift ideas related to self-care!

Weighted blankets

I recently tried out weighted blankets for my anxiety, and while I didn’t find it effective for that, I think that weighted blankets are still a really great wellness tool to try out.

Weighted blankets are said to relieve symptoms of:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Chronic or acute pain
• Osteoarthritis
• ADHD
• Autism
• And much more

It’s possible that your graduate falls somewhere under some of these categories, in which case weighted blankets would be an amazing thing to gift.

Not only that, but I’m sure many people graduating will be spending some quality time in their beds resting and recovering from closing off their final year. Weighted blankets would be a great addition to this experience, even if you don’t have any diagnosable issues. 

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here​

Body Massager

Life is often hectic and stressful; both inside and outside of school. This stress can often manifest into physical pain in our bodies.

Most of us likely feel the impacts of stress in our necks, shoulders, and backs as well as in our feet from walking, cramping our feet into uncomfortable shoes, and clenching toes.

Technology is also not helping us in this department as we often have poor posture sitting at desks all day and looking down at our phones.

Cue in a massager!

Not only does using a massager feel good and act as self-care, but it actually improves the condition of your body.

My partner got me a neck and shoulder massager a few years ago and I basically live in it, and I imagine that I will continue to live in it as I enter the workforce.

Since there are different types of massagers, areas to target, and price ranges, here are a few options!

For your neck, back, and shoulders (what I have):

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

For your feet, ankles, and heels:

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

If want a massage gun (really great for sore muscles):

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Spa Box

Do you know what a graduating student looks like at the end of their semester? Let me enlighten you.

My hair doesn’t know what shampoo is anymore. I wash my face only when I can remember to shower. I definitely do not smell like peaches and cream. I truly need the full Mulan pamper experience.

This is where a spa box or spa retreat comes in!

Currently with the pandemic, a spa retreat is likely not feasible or if it is, it may be too expensive for what you want to pay. In this case, a spa box would work better.

You could either buy a premade spa box, or you could make your own by buying pampering products your graduate likes (or might like).

If you want to get a premade box, here are two handmade and cruelty-free boxes!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Jade Roller Kit or Face Massager Kit

On the train of stress removal and pampering, did you know we hold a lot of tension in our jaws? And that face rollers can help release that tension, improve circulation, lessen sinuses, AND give the bonus of improving your skin texture?

Well, they do!

This would be a great graduation gift to add to the spa box or to match up with some face masks.

Many people enjoy specifically using Jade rollers due to their claims that Jade draws out toxins and improves the quality of your skin. They’re also typically very beautiful which makes them even more fun to use.

If you’d prefer a Jade kit, then I recommend the one below because it also comes with a Gua Sha which is a stone that can be used to massage, scrape and put pressure on certain points of your body to relieve pain and tension. It also comes with a fun little mask applicator which makes it even better if paired with some skin products!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

However, I personally really like face massagers that have a Y shape to them because it really helps to get into the nooks and crannies of the jaw, cheeks, and especially the neck.

Below is a set of 2 face massagers, one shaped like a Y and the other like a T. I love putting them in the fridge and then massaging my face and neck with them after I come out of the shower and put on moisturizer.

If I’m being super fancy, sometimes I’ll put on a cold sheet mask and massage my face while wearing it to really help the serum seep in.

But my favorite thing about this set is that the Y-shaped massager is perfect for getting into the parts of my neck that I can’t fully reach with my neck massager or hands.

It feels so relaxing and relieves so much tension, that I actually bought a second set for my fellow university friend that was feeling a lot of pain in her neck.

So this set is 100% graduate certified and will pair beautifully with some face masks or quality skincare!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Health-Focused College Graduation Presents:

Like I previously mentioned, many students get into unhealthy, bad habits while they’re in school. When academia becomes your priority, it can be hard to eat well, exercise, or even sleep.

And even though graduates are leaving school, many of these engraved behaviors will continue to persist unless actively changed.

Right after graduation is a great time to reset, re-evaluate, and restart healthy habits which can be done more easily with these graduation gifts!

Ninja Blender

Getting your full daily dose of fruits and vegetables can be hard, even for people like me that could honestly eat a whole stock of raw broccoli (I know- I’m a psychopath).

Oftentimes, I find I don’t have the time to cook or make snacks a million times throughout the day. This held true during school and I imagine it will remain true for the rest of my life.

One of my favorite ways to ensure I get most of my required fruits and vegetables is by making smoothies. I love having them in the morning as energy boosters and because it means I don’t have to worry as much about whether my meals contain enough vegetables and fruit for the rest of the day.

I also like having smoothies with protein powder after a workout or at the end of the day if I’ve completely neglected my meals.

Ninja blenders are commonly known for their ability to crush frozen fruit, ice, and hard vegetables. So if your graduate struggles with healthy eating, this can be a really great gift to give them which they can use for the next few years.

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Instant Pot

Continuing the train of healthy eating, one absolute staple in any home is an instant pot.

I cannot verbalize to you just how much I HATE standing by a stove, babysitting the food to make sure nothing catches on fire.

Instant pots are amazing because there are many “dump and go recipes” (sounds gross, I know) that allow you to just throw in a bunch of ingredients, set it to the right time and temperature, then go do other things with your life and come back to a cooked, delicious meal.

It’s easy, low-maintenance, often eliminates needing other appliances for the kitchen (like rice cookers or yogurt makers), and it makes cooking healthy meals at home so much more obtainable.

This is also a gift that will definitely last quite a few years which means it’s a great long-term graduation gift idea!

There are different sizes of instant pots, but I recommend going for the standard because even if you’re just one person, you can make things in batches and freeze them for later, or if you have people over you’ll have a big enough pot to cook for everyone.

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Air Fryer

Our list of nutrition graduation gift ideas would not be completed if we did not include the classic air fryer.

Air fryers are great because they cook food in a specialized way that allows you to not have to use much (if any) oil.

So, if your graduate loves fried foods (which honestly… don’t we all?) this is an amazing alternative to have in the kitchen. Fries, chicken wings, fried chicken, name it, and the air fryer will fry it.

Whatever you make in it tastes just as delicious but without all of the unhealthy impacts of having excessive oil.

Below is a compact but effective air fryer that doesn’t break the bank, AND you can pick from a few different colors (perhaps if your graduate has a favorite color!).

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Blue Light Glasses

This might seem slightly unconventional or maybe even a little weird, but I think it’s just as important as healthy eating appliances.

Blue light glasses help to block the blue light from your computer screen, phone, or any piece of technology really.

This helps protect your eyes, as well as prevent eye strain, headaches, or migraines associated with screen use.

Considering most of us are working on computers, or checking our phones all day, protecting our eyes has never been more crucial.

I recently bought some blue light glasses myself, and I find working on the computer now much less tiring and straining.

Even though I’m no longer writing essays, I’m still doing screen time by looking for jobs, filling in applications, as well as working on my blog. I likely will continue using my screen as I enter my first job in the field.

The ones I bought were not the ones I’m sharing with you below because I had to get JUNIOR glasses for teenagers as my face is the size of a small peanut  (honestly embarrassing).

However, the ones below are going to be just as effective, but the proper size for an actual adult.

What’s nice about these glasses is that they come in 3 different colors which means you can have one pair at home, one at work, and one to-go. It also means you have 3 chances for your graduate to like the glasses aesthetically!

These can be a great gift on their own if you want to give something small, or they can be paired with something else!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Yoga Mat

Now we turn over to another side of wellness: exercise.

A yoga mat is an absolute staple for getting started on an exercise journey, or for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The reason yoga mats are an amazing graduation gift is that they’re not just for yoga!

If you plan to exercise a lot at home (which is the situation right now due to COVID-19), you’re going to need a yoga mat unless you want carpet burns, injuries, or to be slip n slidin’ all over the place.

Yoga? You’re gonna need a mat. Pilates? You’re gonna need a mat. HIIT workouts where you’re going down on the ground? You’re gonna need a mat. Trying to get more flexible? You’re gonna need a mat. Want to meditate not on your chair, bed, or uncomfortable floor? You’re gonna need a mat.

They’re simply essential for anyone that does any sort of exercise at home.

The yoga mat below is a beautiful option for a mat because it’s non-slip, there are multiple color options, it’s eco-friendly and you can pick the length you want (important if your graduate is taller).

I’m also a big fan of the material that was used for this yoga mat because the more standard mat material (think of that ribbed, plushy fabric) is usually SO slippery and I absolutely despise it. This mat does not use that material (yay!).

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Fitbit

Starting or maintaining healthy habits means that you need a way to track them.

By keeping records of what you’re doing, you’re more likely to stick with a new habit, feel motivated to continue, and to grow faster because you’re able to access what’s working and what isn’t.

This is where a Fitbit can really come in handy.

Most people think Fitbits are just for those really healthy people that inhale kale and go for runs at 6 am, but they’re really not!

There’s so much that a Fitbit can track. From your sleep patterns, to how many calories an exercise burns, to menstrual cycles, to heart rates, to calorie intake, Fitbits measure so many aspects of wellness.

Because it’s so highly encompassing, it makes it an incredibly valuable tool for achieving a healthy lifestyle after graduation.

Fitbits also tend to run a bit expensive (depending on what your opinion of expensive is), so they’re a great fit if you want to get something slightly fancier.

Below is the classic Charge 4 which covers everything you could possibly want out of a Fitbit!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Airpods

I can already see you going “Uhhh… Tsvetty? How are Airpods a wellness product?” Let me elaborate.

You know when you finally decide to go for a jog like you kept meaning to, and then your headphones start falling out of your ears, tangling with your arms and clothes, getting caught on things like benches and so you decide you’ll never go jogging again?

Yeah, you’ve been there. I’ve been there. We have all been there.

To really commit to things that are sometimes difficult but necessary, life is made easier when there are as few obstacles in the way as possible.

Even things as simple as headphones.

By making it as easy and comfortable for yourself to get on that jog, treadmill, bike, or whatever it is you’re doing, you’re making it more likely for yourself to stick with the habit.

This can be a tremendous help for a graduating student, especially because wireless headphones are often a bit expensive and not something many people will quickly rake up the money for.

So like the Fitbit, if you want to give something a bit fancier and more luxurious that will be put to huge use over time, Airpods or any wireless headphones are a great way to go!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Wake up Light

Now onto the final piece on health, sleep! Sleep is absolutely essential for our well-being. It allows our brain to rest, reset, solidify memories, improve creativity, and support our mental health.

Most graduate students have fallen into the trap of all-nighters, little sleep, different wake-up and bedtime hours every day, and snoozing the alarm. These are not things you want to take with you as you start working in the field.

Wake-up lamps mimic sunrise and sunset to help you wake up more smoothly, and to lull you into sleep.

I’ve personally been using a wake-up light for a year now and it’s SO much nicer to wake up to some warm light and birds chirping than a screeching alarm clock.

I also love using the sunset function with cricket sound effects as I do my nighttime yoga. It’s a miracle I don’t fall asleep on the mat.

Wake-up lights are also in a nice middle range in terms of price point, so if you didn’t want to break the bank, they’re a great option to consider!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Growth & Productivity College Graduation Gift Ideas:

While it’s vital we take care of our bodies, it’s also incredibly important that we take care of our spirits, minds, and intellect.

Even though your graduate is leaving school, it doesn’t mean they have to stop learning and growing.

It’s also particularly essential that after graduation you know how to identify your goals, ways to achieve them, and areas of improvement. If you don’t, you risk entering a field or job you don’t feel excited or passionate about.

This is where the growth and productivity graduation present ideas come in, as they can help your graduate to stay productive and always focused on growth.

The Richest Man in Babylon

This book is like a rite of passage for anyone transitioning from school into the real world.

I’m not sure about your schools, but mine never taught me anything about finances and how to handle them well.

As graduate students start working to pay off their student debt and begin their (potentially) first full-time jobs, this book acts as a teacher to help them navigate the world of finances, banking, saving, and money.

Even if you aren’t graduating, I would STILL recommend reading this book. It’s a true classic!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

Legend Planner

Understanding your goals, how to achieve them, and then actually following through can be a struggle for everyone.

However, for graduate students, understanding your plan for life is essential as you start job hunting, interviewing, applying to other programs, or simply exploring who you are and what you want to do.

I got the Legend Planner this past year to help me figure out my goals and to keep myself on track and y’all… I LOVE this journal.

It has everything you could need in a journal from a daily agenda section, to monthly calendars, to monthly goals and assessments, to a vision board section, to a life goal list, and SO much more.

I honestly think it’s a must-have, especially in moments like graduation where you’re trying to figure out what you want to do with your life and you may have very little structure.

If it wasn’t for this journal, I’d be completely lost. I highly recommend it!

For my U.S friends, purchase here

For my Canadian friends, purchase here

In Summary

Graduation is such an important milestone in one’s life. It’s the beginning of a new chapter, which is why it’s so important to enter it on your best, healthiest, and happiest foot. I hope these wellness graduation gift ideas have inspired you and helped you find the perfect gift for your graduate!

All my love,

T