Unusual Gift Ideas - Best Gifts for Work-a-holics

Unique gift ideas, personalized gifts, great gift ideas - let's face it - we all need some help sometimes in finding the perfect gift for that special someone in our lives. No matter how well we know our gal or guy, there will come a time, an occasion, when we will have absolutely no idea what to get them. It could happen when we need to choose a birthday, an anniversary, Christmas or Valentine's Day gift - but no matter how well we know them, or how creative we are, at some point we will need a nudge in the right direction.

Case in point: I was recently asked, "What Guy Gifts do you recommend for unhandy workaholic professional types?" Thank you, storytellersrus, for asking such a tough question - seriously, thank you! The research trail your question led me on has yielded some fascinating results.

There are two main schools of thought regarding gifts for workaholic professionals.

One camp promotes the idea that being a workaholic is inherently bad, and every attempt must be made to distract the workaholic from work endeavors, and lead them towards leisure pastimes.

The other camp tends towards harnessing the work drive into productive channels. Their theory is that providing the work-a-holic with labor and time saving devices and strategies will enable them to "work smarter" - an "if you can't beat 'em, help 'em" philosophy.

I have divided my gift suggestions in two groups, as well - into diversions, and production enhancers. I will leave it to you, to decide which school of gifting best fits your professional workaholic. I am inclined towards variety - something from both camps.

"There must be an App for that"... an advertising slogan that has grown so appropriate, it quickly became part of our everyday lexicon.

There are so many devices and applications that promise to save us time.Just type a search term related to tech gadgets, or time-saving technology into your favorite search engine. The number of matches returned will be so high you could take the rest of the day just to check out the first few pages.

Unfortunately it takes a lot of time to go through all the specs and that is one thing your workaholic doesn't want to waste.

Save your workaholic the time and frustration of searching, by letting your "fingers do the walking" for him.

Don't have time to go to the library or stand in line at the book store, but still want to grab the latest release by your favorite author? eBook is a great time saver for the workaholic who enjoys reading.

eBook, your personal library-in-a-briefcase, will keep your selection of reading materials close at hand, while allowing you to quickly surf thousands of selections.

Streamlined and easy to use, this stylish appliance fits easily into briefcase or carry-sack  with view-screens ranging from 5 up to 9+ inches, and a weight of only 6 to 16 ounces.

The second school of thought believes that workaholism can become a destructive behavior, and that every effort must be made to help your workaholic achieve a balance.

While I don't fell it is as dire as all that in many cases, I do agree that a little balance can go a long way towards achieving, and maintaining, strong, healthy relationships with family and friends.

One of the best ways to entice a workaholic, probably a chronic multi-task-er into relaxation mode, is to offer a gift that combines excitement, variety, and timeliness - that is a package that comprises the "full-meal deal."

I am a huge fan of gift cards. As long as you have some idea of your workaholic's interests, a gift card to one of their favorite stores can be the perfect gift. A gift card allows the workaholic to select their own gift - which they will probably do in a most timely fashion.

You will need to put some creative thought into finding a variety of options, so ask yourself a few questions. Does your fella like fancy coffee?

If he loves a good latte, perhaps a coffee machine for the office might be appreciated - especially if it's an easy-to-use and easy-to-clean machine that uses time- and mess-saving coffee pods.

If he's a chocoholic as well as a workaholic, a gift basket to a high-end chocolatier wouldn't go amiss, nor would a gift certificate to his favorite men's wear store.

For the guy on the go, or the traveler who needs to maintain contact while in his vehicle, adapters can help out. There is an adapter available for almost any electronic device you can buy.

Another great travelers' boon is Bluetooth. My son has an earpiece for his phone, and wouldn't consider answering a call in his vehicle without using his hands-free adapter.

A personal reading light can be a useful and helpful addition to your fella's travel kit - and what will make him happier to come home than a comfortable desk chair - a thoughtful gift for the home-office as well. I have a "bungee" chair that makes a refreshing change from my kneeler chair over long hours at my keyboard.

An unhandy guy might still crave his own man-cave, so perhaps some funky man-cave decor would be your best bet. Many breweries carry a line of fun lighting fixture and bar accessories.

Whatever your fella loves, with a little time and care on your part, and perhaps with the help of these suggestions, you will be sure to find something he'll be sure to love.

© 2010, Text by Elle Fredine, All rights reserved