Especially during peak flu season, illness is out there! It’s so easy to pick up a common cold, cough, or flu simply by being out and about doing your ordinary chores, like going to work or getting groceries.
And unfortunately, a loved one, friend, or neighbor can fall ill. For someone who is under the weather with sickness, nothing is more comforting than knowing loved ones are wishing you well.
You may want to go that extra mile and send a sick friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend on a long-distance relationship something to brighten their day. In those cases, a care package or gift basket can help cheer them up! In this blog post, we’re sharing care packages and sick kit ideas that are practical thoughtful gifts in addition to being fun!
14 Thoughtful SICK CARE PACKAGE IDEAS
Perhaps you’ve just learned a dear friend or family member has fallen ill with sickness (sore throat, cold or even surgery) –oh no! It can be confusing to know what to do for a friend in their time of need, but the items listed below are versatile and will be appreciated by an ill friend.
BODY CARE PRODUCTS
Often, we grow ill when we forget to take care of our bodies by nourishing it and getting exercise. During busy times at work or home, this is so easy to do!
For someone who has fallen ill, a key element to recovery is rest. For those who have a hard time sitting still (we all have active friends like this, don’t we?! ;) ), body care products might encourage them to take a quiet moment to wait and relax.
Thymes has an excellent assortment of body lotions, bath salts, and bubble bath mixes to encourage a loved ones to take care of themself. We love Thymes because the product formulations are made from naturally derived, wholesome ingredients (kind of like Proper Good meals!) And, Thymes’ mission is to help create connection through beauty and fragrance–what’s not to love about that! perfect for a great sick care package
SCENTED CANDLES
We also recommend Thymes’ candle selection for your care packages, and with good reason! These candles are at a more premium price point, but each beautiful canister looks like a piece of home decor, it's a great idea to give a personal touch. So while your ill friend or sick boyfriend is recovering from the couch, they’ll have something nice to look at!
Made with long-lasting fragrance and high-quality wax, these candles are sure to outlast your friend’s illness so they can enjoy the thoughtful gift for weeks to come!
A few favorite fragrances are:
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS
Being confined to your home while sick is no fun, and your ill friend might grow bored. A subscription could really help brighten their day and give them something new to do or watch!
A couple of favorite subscription ideas are:
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Netflix (for their favorite movie or TV show - you know :-))
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Urban Stems (fresh flowers)
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Book of the Month (for readers!)
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Universal Yums (for snackers)
FACE MASKS
Skin and lips become dry when ill, especially if your friend is not moisturizing as much as they usually do! A face mask or a lip balm is a great way to keep skin hydrated with very little effort.
This beauty sleep face mask from Lush is perfect for an ill friend who is having a tough time sleeping, perhaps due to a cough or stuffy nose. The blend contains valerian root, which calms and relaxes, plus avocado and evening primrose oils to give a little help nourish and hydrate skin.
WARM SOUP
Is there anything more comforting than a warm bowl of chicken soup when sick? We don’t think so!
If you’re looking for a way to help a sick friend have healthy meals with minimum effort, Proper Good can help! Our delicious soups, chilis, and oatmeals are nutrient-packed and made with real, wholesome ingredients that contain vitamin c, to help speed recovery and healing. Perfect for well-care packages on those days in the house when it’s hard to get off the couch–meals take just 90 seconds in the microwave making them a perfect addition for your sick kit!
We have pre-selected build-your-own packs perfect for a well-care package or sick kit if you know your sick friend or sick boyfriend has a dietary need or preferred lifestyle. A couple of popular builds for your packs are:
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Or, you can always choose your meals!
MENTHOL VAPOUR RUB
Growing up, a concerned parent or guardian may have applied a vapor rub to your chest and/or back when you had a cough or felt congested.
If you know a sick friend who is feeling stuffed up, or sick, vapor rub could be a great addition to your care package or sick kit! Vicks, like the example linked above, is a popular vapor rub brand. If DIY is more your thing, vapor rub can easily be made at home! This homemade vapor rub uses natural ingredients like eucalyptus, menthol, and rosemary for the ultimate health-soothing combo.
HAND SANITIZER
When sick, it can be tough to contain germs! Hand sanitizer helps prevent germ transmission from person to person, especially when in public.
A practical gift for a sick friend, which comes in big bottles or small, portable bottles, too. If you give your ill friend several small bottles, they can keep them in multiple places, like a purse, desk, or throughout the house!
COUGH DROPS
There’s nothing worse than having a cough. Constantly coughing can make your throat hurt, and feel achy and sore.
Cough drops provide a soothing solution to your sick friend’s cough. There are a ton of sweet flavors out there, too! Ricola is a popular, heavy-duty cough drop brand to turn to, while Beekeeper’s Naturals provide a honey-based sweet natural option, part of the essentials not only for your sick kit but also for your care package for a family member, boyfriend, or girlfriend.
HEALTHY TREATS
While healthy treats aren’t quite as practical as cough drops, they are fun and provide a bright and glad adorable spot on the day of a sick friend. But for someone who is recovering from an illness, it’s important to fuel up with wholesome healing ingredients.
That’s where healthy treats can come in! Proper Good oatmeals are filling AND come with tasty toppings! Oatmeal even contains beta-glucan, a fiber that's been shown to not only support healthy immune function but also reduce cholesterol and blood sugar concentrations. So this can help speed up recovery … and recovery has never tasted so good! ;)
SELF-CARE PRODUCTS
You’ve heard our recommendations on body care products, scented candles, and face masks above … but if your ill friend loves to indulge in a little self-care, like a soft blanket, there are so many more products out there!
Buzzfeed compiled this list of fun self-care self-care products. We love the idea of getting an ill friend a journal to fuel their inner writer! Or perhaps an essential oil diffuser could be just the ticket to a more comfortable recovery.
FUZZY SOCKS
You can NEVER have enough pairs of fuzzy socks! We love a comfortable pair of socks at Proper Good, and in fact, a while back we even gave away a free pair of cozy socks to all of our subscribers!
COZY BLANKET
Snuggling up under a blanket with a teddy bear when you’re feeling under the weather is a comforting feeling! And if you’re looking for a way to cheer up a sick friend, a fleece blanket can help. There are a ton of inexpensive blanket varieties on Amazon–fleece blankets in every size, shape, and color to save the day!
Or if you’re looking to splurge on an ultra-plush blanket, here are a couple of cozy options from L.L. Bean and UGG.
LIGHT READING MATERIAL
With a little too much downtime on their hands, your ill friend may be going stir-crazy while cooped up inside. Why not help them get caught up in a good article or story? A bit of light reading material can help pass the time on the road to recovery.
Gifting an eBook to someone couldn’t be simpler, and a couple of lightweight magazines are easy to include inside a care package!
BOARD GAMES
If books and reading material aren’t something your ill friend would enjoy, there’s always a classic board game! Games like Monopoly or Catan never go out of style … or even a set of cards so your ill friend can play a game of solo solitaire!
Being ill is never fun, and knowing what care package items to give a sick friend can be tricky! But we hope the ideas in this blog post give you an idea of where to start.
When in doubt, Proper Good provides ready-to-eat 90 seconds meals that are gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, and made from clean ingredients! They require no preparation and provide incredible nutrition.
In case it helps, here are a couple more related articles on care packages + dealing with flu season!
- Natural Ways to Stay Healthy During Flu Season
- Care Packages for College Kids
- Covid Care Package Ideas
