9 Affordable and Small Gifts for Coworkers

Whether you’re headed back to the office or working from home, show your coworkers you care. You don’t have to break the bank to send a thoughtful gift their way. There are plenty of options for every kind of work personality on your list. From succulent plants for the coworker who appreciates a little low-maintenance greenery to a stuffed animal friend for the coworker with a heart of gold, here’s our list of nine affordable and small gifts for coworkers.

1. Smartphone and Tablet Holder — If you don’t already have a smartphone and tablet holder for your own desk, you’re going to want to grab one for yourself, too. It’s a practical gift that your coworker will actually use. This portable holder fits nicely on any desk and can hold a smartphone or tablet while you’re working on your laptop. Whenever you need to check your phone or your iPad, you just need to reach over to your device holder on your desk.
2. Stuffed Animal Care Package — Send your coworker a stuffed animal care package. This is perfect for the coworker who has kids or is a kid at heart. They’ll appreciate having a little animal friend at their desk. Whenever they get stressed, they can also hug their stuffed animal to help make their day better. Whether your coworker loves a playful otter or a whimsical sloth, you’ll easily be able to find some cute stuffed animals to send them.
3. Funny Memo Pads — Even if we’re constantly working on our phones, tablets and laptops, sometimes it’s easier to be old school and just grab the nearest memo pad and pen. Give your coworker the gift of a funny memo pad. There are tons of funny options out there, depending on their sense of humor. If you know their favorite show or musician, you can also get fun memo pads in those themes.
4. Funny Mouse Pad — If your coworker doesn’t have a mouse pad, or if you want to give their current one an upgrade, get them a funny mouse pad. Just like the funny memo pad, there are plenty of options depending on what your coworker would find funny. When in doubt, get them a mouse pad based on their interests. If they love working out or animals, you can get them a funny mouse pad as a nod to their passions.
5. Succulent Plants — No matter the climate in their home or office, succulent plants are pretty much the easiest kinds of plants to take care of. They require a minimum amount of water. You can let them hang out on your desk near a window or under a light.

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1. Cozy Socks — Get your coworker the gift of cozy with a pair of cozy socks. Socks are often made fun of by being that rejected gift that your aunt got you for the holidays. The truth is that we were all sleeping on the practical comfort of a great pair of socks. They’re an affordable and practical gift that your coworker will enjoy wearing when they want to be comfortable in their work shoes or stay cozy while they’re working from home.
2. Reed Diffuser Sticks — Having candles in the office can quickly become a fire hazard. Maybe your coworker doesn’t want to worry about having to routinely keep an eye on their candle to make sure it doesn’t burn anything while they’re working. Reed diffuser sticks are a great alternative to candles or even essential oil diffusers. All your coworker needs to do is open up the oil container and stick the reed diffuser sticks in it. They can turn over the sticks to the other side each day to smell the lovely scent.
3. Mini Desk Humidifier — We could all use a humidifier. You don’t need a giant one to plug into the wall in the corner. Instead, get your coworker a mini desk humidifier. The humidifier will remove dryness and add humidity to the room. When we’re indoors all day with the AC running, whether it’s the dry heat for fall and winter or cool air during the spring and summer, a humidifier will help restore humidity to make it easier to breathe.
4. Stress Balls — Get your coworker a stress ball that they can squeeze when they get stressed. There are ones that look like emojis, ones with positive sayings on them, others that have interesting textures and so forth. Stress balls were originally intended to help relieve stress and tension. According to Brownhill Surgery, there are actually several health benefits that come with using a stress ball. Give your coworker the gift of relieving arthritis pain, enhanced emotional stability and even improved sleep.

 According to the American Institute of Stress, 83 percent of U.S. workers suffer from work-related stress. While we won’t be able to help coworkers with their total stress management from work culture and work-life balance alone, there are little things we can do as peers and work friends to make our team’s day. Send them one of these thoughtful gifts and they’ll have something to smile about when they’re going about their day-to-day during the work grind.