CBD For Stress: What is stress?
Stress is how we react to change or a challenge when we feel threatened or pressured, especially if we feel we cannot manage the situation, if it is short term stress, it can be helpful. It gives us a boost, helping our performance and enhances our physical performance, it basically gives you that extra nudge to get things done, on the other hand long-term stress can be very detrimental and lead to serious health problems. The stress response is actually the body’s way of protecting you.
Can stress be detrimental to your health?
Yes of course, stress can have a massive impact on your body, how you feel, what you think about, and how you act, if you have more knowledge on the symptoms of stress it can help you spot and manage them sooner rather than later.
If the symptoms of stress are unnoticed, they can develop into much more serious health problems.
Stress affects everyone differently, especially between male and female, these are some ways that chronic or long-term stress affects a female mind and body:
- Back pain
- Skin issues, like rashes or hives, even adult acne
- Headaches
- Upset stomach (IBS)
- Feelings of no control
- Forgetting things
- No energy
- Lack of focus
- Issues with eating, overeating or under-eating
- Short temper
- Sleep issues (tired all the time but can’t sleep)
- Drug and alcohol misuse
- Low libido
- Heart problems
- Weight problems
- Autoimmune disease
What Happens to Your Body When You’re Stressed?
When you feel any kind of stress, it can be life threatening or just irritation, your body goes into protection mode “defense physiology,” this is known as the fight or flight response. Your body is preparing for danger, it’s getting you ready to outrun a tiger or a lion metaphorically speaking, your organs change gears, your adrenal glands get activated, blood pressure shoots up, digestion more or less stops, and muscles become tense; your body just wants to survive, this is how it protects you.
When our body is stressed from an emergency, it is over quickly; however, stress from worry will keep your body in the fight or flight response 24 hours a day.
Every organ, tissue and cell are working round the clock to protect you, your body becomes very tired and eventually the normal bodily processes for healing shut down, you become very receptive to illness, fatigue, depression, and disease.
When your body is in the state it does not process information logically, this will negatively affect your mental health, and your emotional well-being.
Your body should be naturally relaxed, you are meant to live in a joyful happy state, unless of course you are actually in a crisis.
Three types of stressors:
Stress shows up in many ways here are three types of stressors that you will come across daily:
- Mental or emotional stress(work, family problems, peer pressure)
- Chemical stress(diet, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, medication, lotions, and potions used daily)
- Physical stress(injuries, repetitive movements, sitting down too long, over training, chasing toddlers etc.)
What are the main causes of stress?
Stress is normal, and is a part of everyday life, even though it is something everyone experiences, the causes of stress can differ from person to person.
For example, one person may become emotional and overwhelmed by a huge traffic jam on the highway, while another will just turn up her music or listen to a podcast and consider it time to herself, an argument with a friend could bother one person for the full day, while another forgets about it as soon as it’s done.
There could be many things that can cause stress, it may be because of one big event or change in your life, or it could be a chain of events just building up and coming out of the body in different forms.
You may be experiencing stress if you are:
- Going through a time where you are uncertain about where you are going in life
- Moving home
- You are worrying about something, regarding yourself, friend, family, or situation
- If you are facing big changes, moving, or meeting new people
- Training hard for a competition
- Have a lot of responsibilities that feel overwhelming to you
- If you are being bullied, being abused or face discrimination
- Death of a loved one
The quicker you identify the cause the better, then take steps towards minimizing the effects that it can have on your body.
How to manage stress using these helpful tips.
We all want to be Wonder Woman or Superman, but we need to remember these are fictional characters, we are all doing the best we can.
Here are a few helpful tips to keep you on track and minimize the everyday stressors:
- Learn to manage your time, if you have a schedule or plan, you may get more done, with minimal stress, putting the most important to the top of your list.
- Watch out for over committing to arrangements, remember you can say NO
- Make sure that 80% of the time you are eating a healthy diet, drinking lots of water, at least half a gallon per day
- No smoking and limit your alcohol, alcohol is a depressant, it lowers your vibration.
- Exercise, get your body moving, find something you enjoy, whether it just be going for a walk, playing tennis, or going to the gym with a friend.
- Take time out to relax, go for a massage, do some yoga, or meditation, these are all great ways to center your nervous system.
- Try to focus on the moment and appreciate where you are at that moment, it is hard to be stressed when you are in a state of appreciation.
- Let out your thoughts, whether you speak to a friend or write it down in a diary, release it and then let it go.
Which CBD Products For Stress Should I Use?
Our 33mg gummies are my go-to for Mom stress. When I need something stronger or faster acting I reach for our Organic 2400mg Extra Strength CBD oil.
