5 Ways To De-Stress With CBD

Finding yourself stressed lately? You’re not alone.

According to a 2017 study done by The American Institute of Stress, 77% of people are stressed to the point of negatively impacting their physical health, and 73% found that stress influenced their mental health. You better believe that number has gone up due to pandemic and politics. Add job pressures, media overload, and general uncertainty about the future to the mix and those tight muscles, headaches, and racing heart start to make a lot of sense.

Many hemp users take CBD to banish racing thoughts before bed or to start their work day strong. Glowing testimonials aren’t hard to find. Take retired hockey player, Riley Cote, who had this to share with Men’s Health: “I quickly realized it wasn’t just helping with my brain health, but it also added another dimension to my sleep, and its subtle calming nature helped with anxiety.”

But what are the best ways to take CBD to aid with stress? And why exactly is it so effective? Let’s take a look.

How does CBD work to relieve stress and anxiety?

CBD alleviates anxiety by stimulating neurotransmitter systems and aiding with neural regeneration. One of the many receptors it influences is 5-HT1A (a receptor which is believed to play a strong role in anxiety disorders). CBD also stimulates our endocannabinoid system, a system which helps our bodies function in countless ways (including the processing and then releasing of fears). Finally, chronic stress can damage neurons and negatively impact our brains, but CBD encourages neural regeneration.

Interested in more research to back all this up? One study on CBD and social anxiety disorders found that not only did CBD reduce anxiety levels, but it changed the brain’s reaction to anxiety. With the help of brain scans, they discovered variations in blood flow patterns within the regions of the brain associated with stress.

Another study reported that CBD reduced social anxiety, specifically in connection with public speaking. While a third study recorded positive results on CBD’s effectiveness of treating PTSD. Research is continuing to expand and one 2015 report included all of 49 primary preclinical, clinical, or epidemiological studies on the subject.

…So now, what are the best ways to use CBD to reap these benefits?

Tinctures

Hemp-derived CBD tinctures are one of the most effective ways for your body to absorb CBD, meaning you’re more likely to reap the full benefits of the product.

We recommend taking your tincture sublingually, which means holding the liquid under your tongue for 60 seconds or so before swishing and swallowing. This allows time for the mucous membranes filled with tiny capillaries to absorb the CBD rapidly and directly into your bloodstream.

Gummies and capsules

For those who aren’t such a fan of the taste of straight CBD, gummies and capsules are a nice alternative. They are also easy to take whenever you need and you can also be certain that when you take your CBD serving, you will be having consistency from dose to dose.

Another nice thing about gummies is that it is a more discreet way of taking CBD at work, on your commute, or at an event.

One last thing to keep in mind is that your body will take longer to absorb the CBD this way (as opposed to taking it sublingually). So if you’re seeking relief from panic attacks, this might not be the best option for you.

Unwind Those Muscles with A Topical Cream

If your stress is winding your back and neck muscles tighter, rubbing a CBD cream on your skin might be the ideal solution. Afterall, another common reason CBD users take the supplement is to reduce inflammation.

Take it a step further with a nice long CBD massage. If that doesn’t work out all those awful knots, we don’t know what will!

(Do keep in mind, however, that less CBD enters your body’s system when applied topically.)

CBD Bath Bombs

Hemp bath bombs are another topical way to de-stress with CBD. Soaking in a hot bath will open your pores and give your skin ample time to absorb that CBD. Plus, if you are one of the 48% of Americans who have trouble sleeping due to stress, taking a warm bath (or shower) before bed increases the chances of a good night’s sleep. This is because it expands your blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and relaxing tight muscles.

Baths in general give you a mindful moment to slow down and put aside the thoughts swirling around and around your head. We hope that by the time you finally pull the plug and watch the water swirl down the pipes, you’ll let those anxious thoughts drain away too. For more on CBD bath bombs specifically, check out our article dedicated to the subject.