Stress is how our bodies react to pressure from difficult or uncomfortable situations and it can cause a physical, mental, or emotional reaction. Occasional stress is a normal response when overwhelmed by work, school, home, holiday celebrations, shopping, or general complications in our daily lives.
There are a lot of ways to deal with that occasional stress as well. Things like exercise, meditation, good nutrition, and restorative sleep are some of the key methods. These traditional methods are useful anytime you are feeling overwhelmed, but if you are looking for extra support, CBD for stress that happens occasionally is a great option.
Keep reading to learn more about how CBD can help with occasional stress:
What is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol, one of many active compounds found in the hemp plant. CBD derived from hemp does contain a miniscule amount of THC (less than .3%), but is considered non intoxicating and was made legal by the 2018 Farm Bill.
CBD has been shown to be effective for supporting a sense of calm for focus *, managing everyday stresses *, supports healthy recovery from exercise-induced inflammation *, maintaining healthy sleep cycles *, and occasional anxiety. CBD is often found in products such as oils, gummies, capsules.
What’s the Difference Between CBD and Marijuana?
While both CBD and marijuana come from the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant, there is a major difference: THC. The initials stand for tetrahydrocannabinol, it is the cannabinoid responsible for the marijuana high. Some strains of marijuana contain between 17 percent and 28 percent THC. But hemp, according to the 2018 Farm Bill, must contain less than .3 percent THC, which is not enough to cause intoxication. Licensed hemp growers must follow strict regulations and undergo extensive testing to keep the product safe and within regulation.
How Exactly Does Stress Affect the Body?
You might think stress is something that only affects your brain as you juggle competing priorities and demands of life. However, stress can affect multiple parts of your body and can contribute to health problems over the long-term, including digestive disorders, headaches, sleep problems, and other symptoms.
When your brain senses that you’re feeling stress, it responds. Your hypothalamus – a small region of the brain responsible for a lot of regulatory functions – activates your “stress hormones” of adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases your heart rate and your immediate energy supply while cortisol increases sugars in the bloodstream and targets them toward essential functions. These are the useful “flight-or-fight” hormones needed when, say, you need to run from a tiger in the jungle.
The problem is, when your body perceives that you need to run from a tiger several times a day, you’re experiencing more adrenaline and cortisol than is good for you. The long-term effects of this can increase your risk of headaches, digestive problems, weight gain, sleep problems, heart disease, memory and focus issues, anxiety, and depression.
How Does CBD help with Stress?
There’s a difference between chronic stress and occasional stress. Chronic stress is long-term stress, which is unresolved, leading to ongoing symptoms and potentially alterations in brain function. Occasional stress is short-term stress, caused by a specific situation that is then resolved. CBD can help support everyday stressors and provide a sense of calm for focus when occasional stress presents.
While anxiety and stress are two different conditions and manifest in the body in different ways, they are linked in terms of how the body tries to manage them and in the negative effects they can have over time.
The Best CBD Products for Occasional Stress
For occasional stress, you will benefit most from products that support a sense of calm and increased focus. Here are some of the best CBD products for occasional stress:
- CBD Oils: A good all-purpose CBD oil at a good introductory level.
- CBD Gummies: A blend of full-spectrum hemp extract can help counter everyday stress.
- CBD Capsules: If capsules are more suited to your daily life, they provide a consistent amount every time.
The basic pressures of our daily lives can be constant sources of stress leading to possible long-term negative health effects. CBD for stress that happens time-to-time in everyday situations can help restore a sense of calm and focus, allowing you to more effectively handle the ordinary problems daily life presents.
