Looking objectively at the person you’re gifting can help dissolve the fear factor. Treat the exercise as an intriguing puzzle – one where getting it right will tell you even more about them (and perhaps yourself), and will have the added bonus of building your confidence in your ability to master this most rewarding of arts.

Sure, throwing money at a problem can help, but sometimes it simply reinforces the “wrongness” of a gift. Therefore, always prioritise thoughtfulness. It will show.

And try not to procrastinate. Put a note in your calendar six weeks before the present is due, not a few days. That should allow time for customisation if necessary – always a classy touch.

This level of forethought doesn’t mean buying whatever catches your eye throughout the year, especially not when you’re on holiday, when all good senses go on vacation too, but sadly not to the same place you did. This kind of gift shopping is often about spotting an alleged homegrown ‘bargain’ (yes, there are exquisite embroidered shawls in India and the maté tea flasks that Argentine gauchos are never without can be compelling… But are they destined to languish in your present cupboard, gathering dust? Better to source something bespoke through ABASK).

What if you’re dealing with the gift giver’s nightmare from hell – the minimalist who appears to live with almost nothing, apart from a wardrobe of clothes from The Row and half a dozen mid-century statements in their home?

Take William Morris’s advice to only buy something you know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. My suggestion is to home in on the useful part. You’re not going to buy pretty tchotchkes for the Minimalist Nightmare from Hell. You’re going to focus on objects that even the minimalists’ minimalist can never have too many of: household linens, chopping boards, blankets, stationery or items that are meant to be consumed, like scented candles in keep-for-ever vessels.