Gifting is not frivolous. Throughout time and cultures, it has had deep meaning, and societal impact. A way to build bonds between strangers, a way to wish happiness for others at a key time in the season, a way to honor and acknowledge the efforts and support of others.

A loaf of bread welcoming you to a new home, a surprise coffee delivery on a tough day, a heartfelt card on your birthday. These small surprise gifts have meaning far beyond their size.

These small moments of generosity and surprise have the power to reshape how we feel about our moments and our environments. And, they don’t have to be grand gestures to change everything.

So in the workday, how do we lift each other’s spirits, send a thank you, celebrate a challenge conquered, or buttress our energy for one still to face? Small surprise gifts have meaning far beyond their size. They evoke positive change, quickly. Exchange of kindness, via gifts, belong in the workday.

Why gift at work?

We all know the joy of receiving a gift. But, it’s not about the gift itself, rather it’s the thought behind it – the feeling of being valued, noticed, and appreciated.

Our culture and our calendars have scripted us to naturally associate gifting with celebrations, holidays, and milestones. Like Thanksgiving, birthdays, end-of-year celebrations, and anniversaries. Why limit that generosity to special occasions? And, why not bring it to the people and place where the majority of our waking hours unfold: our workplaces?

At its core, a gift is a physical token of gratitude and appreciation. Gift exchange is an act of commitment and reciprocity that grows social bonds¹, creating mutual ties of generosity and cooperation.^2,3 In work environments, this translates to improved employee morale, motivation, and cognitive performance.⁴ It builds self-efficacy, and encourages synergetic action.⁵

Why is this? On a neurological level, it’s because the cooperation and generosity associated with gifting activates the brain's reward centers, creating mutual feelings of goodwill and trust.⁶ The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, associated with greater cognitive flexibility⁷, cooperative behaviour⁸, and commitment⁹, also activates.⁵ In short, gifting primes our brains for trust, empathy, and creative collaboration.

Beyond the social aspects, acts of giving and receiving are associated with enhanced creativity, reduced stress, and improved wellbeing. When we focus on good things, we’re better equipped to disconnect from work and to overcome stress.¹⁰

The impact of a gift lasts long beyond the moment it’s received. Over time, it leads to greater life satisfaction, optimism, extraversion and lower stress levels.¹¹ And at an organizational level, they foster performance, teamwork, meaning, and reduce turnover and burnout.¹²

The reciprocity effect

When you give a gift, you don’t just brighten someone’s day, you’re also brightening your own. The benefits flow in both directions, and often, the giver gains even more from the experience.¹³

A longitudinal study on generosity in the workplace found that both the givers and receivers of gifts experience meaningful improvements in wellbeing. The act of generosity was found to spread, with both parties being inspired to practice further acts of kindness, creating a chain reaction of generosity and acts of kindness.¹⁴

In other words, one small gift can start a movement of generosity. At work, this could translate to a kinder, more reciprocal workforce.

The element of surprise

When a gift arrives unexpectedly, rather than out of any social or temporal obligations, its impact lands differently.

Surprise disrupts the mental autopilot of our workdays, adding a moment of novelty into our routine. A surprise gift constitutes a positive interruption, which is found to inspire creativity. A study on the science of surprise found that individuals exposed to such interruptions generated 58% more ideas than their uninterrupted peers in the three weeks following the disruption.¹⁵

Microsoft’s recent revelation of “The Infinite Workday” found that knowledge workers are interrupted every 2-minutes during their core work hours, by emails, pings, and meeting requests. When buried in a storm of interruptions, the gift of break contrasts, serving as a positive interruption.

Whether it’s turning around a tough day or adding an extra highlight to an already great one, a moment of surprise can provide a small but meaningful lift to the day.

The gift of Breakthru

One of the biggest barriers to taking breaks is giving ourselves permission. Even when we know we need to step away, we too often don’t unless someone reminds us it’s okay.

Through our research and conversations, we’ve found that people are much more likely to take breaks (and to enjoy them) when they are invited to do so by a friend, colleague, and especially, a leader.

With that in mind, we created Breakthru Bouquets. A new way to gift micro moments of movement, breath, and beauty into the flow of someone’s day. Sending a Bouquet is a simple, but meaningful, way to show gratitude, offer encouragement, celebrate a win, or simply to remind your team that taking care of themselves is all part of doing great work.

All it takes to send a Bouquet is the recipient's email, your name (so they can see who it’s from!), and a personal note. Then, your gift will land in their inbox, with a fresh set of seven different Breakthru microbreaks to enjoy.

Alternatively, you can gift a single Breakthru through your Microsoft Teams chat:

1. Find the + icon on the right of the message bar in your Teams chat
2. Search for Breakthru among the options and apps
3. Click Breakthru, and choose which you want to gift: confident, energized, centered, joyful, or allow them to choose themselves. Or, send a welcome card or team challenge
4. Add a note, if you wish, to accompany your gift
5. Preview your gift, and then click “Give” to send your Breakthru gift in chat

There’s a science behind the gift of Breakthru. A gift that is modest but meaningful, sent with sincere gratitude, helps employees feel valued, without inviting comparison or inciting favoritism between colleagues.¹⁶ A Bouquet of Breaks, paired with a personal note, is a simple and impactful gift that is both universal and unique to everyone on your team.

When leaders give

There’s a unique resonance when a gift comes from a leader.

In a time of significant uncertainty, change, and disconnect, an average of 40% of U.S. employees are burnt out.¹⁷ A thoughtful gift from a leader can have an outsized impact on employee engagement and morale. It cultivates trust, humanizes professional interactions, and reminds employees that their leaders care.¹⁶

Managers have an impact on mental health comparable to that of a spouse (69%), and exceeding that of a doctor (51%) or therapist (41%).¹⁸ That influence extends to break-taking behavior. When perceived attitudes towards breaks are negative or ambiguous, workers are significantly less likely to take breaks, even when they know they’re needed. However, when leaders encourage breaks (and especially when they visibly take them themselves) employees are far more likely to do so too, and reap greater benefits from their break time.

Microbreaks are small but mighty, reducing burnout, fostering connection, and improving performance. When leaders gift Breakthru, they’re giving more than the break itself. They’re granting permission for their employees to take the breaks they need, while sharing a digital token of their generosity.

Give your team a Breakthru

Because Breakthru is a team tool, it’s also a great team gift.

Shared moments, especially rooted in movement, create cohesive teams. It provides an opportunity to connect beyond formal responsibilities, and on a more human level. When combined with a thoughtful gesture, such as Bouquet, these small moments in motion build mutual understanding and morale.

Breakthru was designed for everyone, across roles, generations, and levels of mobility, making it the perfect universal gift. It requires no equipment, no prep, and no time beyond what people already have. Just a simple moment of movement and breath.

Wrapping it up

Gifts don’t need to be saved for special occasions, nor are they frivolous or excessive. They’re a small, but very real, way to cultivate connection, creativity, and care at work. Giving a gift is a meaningful way to improve the days of both yourself and others.

For leaders, showing gratitude to your employees with a gift boosts employee engagement and morale, building high-performing, highly supportive cultures, where individuals and organizations can both flourish.

A Breakthru Bouquet is a gift that lands where people need a lift the most: in the flow of their workday. It’s a moment of generosity, delivered with a simple moment of beauty, breath, movement, and connection.

Give your team a Breakthru?

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