That sentiment might not be true, according to Dr. Victor Zach, director of Stroke and Neurocritical Care at HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center. Zach says that giving and receiving the right kind of gift can cause dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, to surge in the brains of both the giver and receiver.
And what is the right kind of gift? “The majority of the time most people, when asked, will say that the best gift they’ve ever gotten was some kind of experience, some sort of event or something they were able to do because of the gift,” Zach says. “It might be tickets to a performance or a plane ticket to see their mom who they haven’t seen in two years.” Years down the road, the receiver will still associate the giver with the good feelings that accompany the experience, Zach says. “You almost always receive satisfaction as the giver and the receiver.”
When you give a gift of an object to someone, such as a sweater or an iPad, the day you buy it is the best that object is going to look, he says. Over the years, the object will take on wear and tear and develop problems. “It’s a decreasing curve, and each time the receiver uses the item, the amount of dopamine becomes less and less satisfying.”
During the winter months, Zach sees a significantly higher rate of stroke in patients. “This has never really been understood, but one of the theories is that perhaps the holidays are just a very stressful time for many people and maybe somehow that’s contributing,” he says.
Zach thinks that if more people engaged in giving gift experiences rather than giving objects, both the giver and receiver might receive greater satisfaction and reduced stress during the holidays. “They’d be happier and have less strokes and heart disease, which would leave me more satisfied as a doctor,” he says.
Five experience gift ideas:
Tickets to a musical or play at ASU Gammage, asugammage.com
Learn to skydive at Skydive Phoenix, 480-557-5867, skydivephoenix.com
Tickets to see Adele at Talking Stick Resort Arena Aug. 16, 2016, talkingstickresort.com
White water rafting through the Grand Canyon with Arizona River Runners, 800-477-7238, raftarizona.com
A day at Disneyland, Disneyland. disney.com
