Put a smile on a loved one’s face, wherever they are.

We all feel down sometimes and it’s never nice, is it? We think that there’s only one thing that feels worse – seeing someone you love feeling down. When someone you care about is upset or sad, we’re sure that you’d do anything to cheer them up. Unfortunately, knowing how to do this isn’t always an easy task.

However, we like to think that we know a thing or two about making people happy. Chocolate has been scientifically proven to improve mood. And, from our Everything Sleekster to our warming Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, you’ll find plenty of goodies in our collection of Cheer Up Gifts that are guaranteed to put a smile on someone’s face.

Made with love and packed with cocoa, chocolate is our favourite way to cheer someone up. However, there are plenty of other ways to help when a loved one is down in the dumps. Maybe you want to show your love virtually or maybe you want to help them beat the blues after a bad day. Whatever the occasion, we’ve put together this simple guide bursting with ideas to help you brighten their mood (and your own too!).

How to cheer someone up over text

Knowing how to cheer someone up when you can’t physically be there to comfort them is tricky. You could always give them a ring and have a chat but when someone is feeling down, they may not want to talk about it. The solution? A text message. If they’re really hurt, send them a text to remind them that you’re always there for them and if they’re having a bad day, send them a funny meme or a gif to make them laugh.

We’re sure that your kind words and humour will cheer them up, but if you want to go one step further, you may like to text them a chocolate gift – yep, we make gifts by text possible! To send one of our treats straight to a recipient’s phone, simply choose the delivery option “Gift by Text” at the checkout. They’ll receive your message, a link to their present, and full control over delivery. We think this would be their favourite text message ever.

How to cheer someone up after a bad day

When someone’s had a bad day, letting them dwell on it will make them feel even worse, so distraction is usually the best strategy to cheer them up.

We think one of the best ways to do this is by baking. From letting anger out whilst beating all the ingredients together to getting creative with decorations, there’s nothing quite as therapeutic and fun as baking up gooey cookies, a chunky cake or anything else that takes your fancy. It’s been proven that baking can help bust stress and anxiety – especially when you’re baking for other people. So, make sure you whip up enough sweet treats to give to friends or family (whilst ensuring that there’s plenty left over for you to enjoy yourself, of course).

If you’re planning to make something chocolatey, we recommend using our 100% Dark Chocolate Drops. Made purely from cocoa beans, these are perfect for creating indulgent treats that capture the never-too-sweet goodness of our chocolate. 

How to cheer someone up after a breakup

No matter the circumstances, breakups are always tough. And, when you’re newly single, it’s easy to feel down when happy couples seem to be everywhere. If you’re cheering someone up who’s in this situation, we recommend reminding them that you don’t need a romantic partner to have fun.

You could take them to a spa to be pampered with some relaxing treatments or to one of our Chocolate Tasting Adventures. Created for chocolate lovers, these experiences allow guests to delve deep into the world of chocolate – they learn about it, sample it, and shop for it with a discount. Chocolate and retail therapy? Just what the heartbreak doctor ordered.

You could also host a cocktail night to give them an opportunity to get all dressed up and let their hair down. We love a good cocktail and can heartily recommend using our tipples to create some stunning drinks. From a Martini with our Cocoa Gin to a White Russian with our Salted Caramel Vodka Liqueur, one or two (or three) cocoa-infused cocktails are guaranteed to cheer them up.

How to cheer someone up in lockdown?

Lockdown is difficult for everyone. As the novelty of Zoom quizzes and banana bread-baking wears off, we’ve all experienced our fair share of quarantine blues. Unfortunately, the very nature of lockdown makes it impossible to do most of the things you’d usually do to cheer someone up. However, you can still put a smile on someone’s face when you’re both stuck at home. You just have to do things a little differently.

Technology is your best friend when it comes to cheering someone up in lockdown. For example, when you aren’t able to pay them a visit, you can video call them to have a nice catch up or a rant – whatever will make them feel better. However, if they’d rather not talk, you could watch a film or TV show together.

Technology like Netflix Party allows two or more people to watch something at exactly the same time and message about it. So stick to a comedy and have a (virtual) laugh together. Whilst it may not be quite as good as curling up on the sofa together with a bottle of wine, it’s close. You could even send them some snacks to enjoy whilst watching, like our Praline and Nut Selector Collection. 

Gifts to cheer someone up

Chocolate has been scientifically proven to boost mood thanks to its endorphins. This makes it the perfect gift when someone needs cheering up. This is especially true of dark chocolate, which helps trigger happy hormones, so you may like to treat them to some of our dark chocolate treats, like our 70% Dark Chocolate Batons or our Dark Signature collection.

In our books, hot chocolate is happiness in a mug and we believe that ours is the best in the world, so you may also like to get some hot cocoa to lift their spirits. You could go for something classic, like our Milky Hot Chocolate or something zingier, like our Mint Hot Chocolate. Either way, it’s sure to warm their hands and their hearts. 

If you want to help them relax and feel fabulous, you could choose something from our Beauty Gifts. From candles to body butters, in our Rabot 1745 collection, you’ll find an abundance of luxury items. Whatever they’re into, these are sure to cheer someone up and help them chill out. Made from cocoa beans grown on our St. Lucian estate, this collection harbours all the cocoa goodness and divine scent as our chocolate. Great for the skin and great for the mood. 

Cheering someone up

Seeing someone you love feeling down is always horrible so we hope you won’t have to use these tips too soon! However, keep all these ideas in mind because next time a friend is feeling sad, we’re confident that treating them to chocolatey gifts, baking, cocktail nights, or Netflix (or all of the above!) will help lift their spirits and put a smile on their face.