A study in February 2021 showed that 82% of Indians are stressed today. What’s even shocking is that India was identified as the country with the most depressed people in the world. A Delhi based mental health service platform called The Center of Healing (TCOH) reported that there has been an increase in stress and anxiety among people since the Covid-19 pandemic
While there are several reasons for stress, anxiety and other mental health problems like depression and sleeping disorders, stress is primarily not good for one’s health.
Adding to the ill effects stress can have on one’s body, like heart and lung damage, decrease in metabolic levels, chronic headaches, etc. stress can highly affect one’s quality of living by hindering performance and concentration at work, study, etc. it can also affect our closest friends and family when it is not dealt with the right way
This article is a good place to start to help you deal with stress and how CBD can play a major role in stress relief
What is Stress?
Stress can be defined as the body’s reaction to a change either externally or internally. This requires the body to make some adjustments or respond with either physical, mental, or emotional changes.
The American Institute of Stress showed that 77% of the US population showed symptoms of stress whereas 73% of them showed psychological symptoms of stress. The way people respond to stress varies based on changes in neurotransmitters and hormonal levels, Stress hormones namely cortisol or adrenaline prepare the body for fight or flight responses
Stress for some people can induce positive results while in some people, it can have dangerous results. Sometimes, stress can motivate people to perform better, keep them alert and avoid dangerous situations. Sometimes, stress can build up and lead to an overload which can ultimately lead people to shut down or “explode” due to the lack of proper stress management
Types of Stress
There are 4 different types of stress:
Acute stress
This stress response is usually fight or flight. Your body will prepare to defend itself against danger and will stay alert. It will take approximately 90 minutes for the body’s metabolic rate to drop down to normal
Chronic stress
This type of stress is one that gets built up over time. Factors like bills, responsibilities, deadlines, or other everyday elements can stress you out and when they are not dealt with, they can get accumulated. This type of stress can cause harm to your immune system, mental and physical health
Chronic stress causes many regions in the brain to be hyperactive which leads to neurotransmitters like dopamine, cortisol, and endocannabinoids and their levels change
Eustress
This stress usually occurs due to positive manifestations in life. For example, getting married, fun rides, winning, crossing big milestones in life can give one an adrenaline pump that indicates eustress
Distress
These are stresses that are associated with negative events like divorce, injuries, accidents, death, financial crunches, etc.
Some stresses are good. But some stresses like chronic stress and distress can be harmful to one’s well being. These types of stresses can be handled well with the use of CBD and other lifestyle changes
CBD and Stress
Cannabidiol is a compound extracted from the cannabis plant and is extremely useful in terms of its health benefits. In our body, we have an endocannabinoid system that helps to regulate all functions in the body and maintains a state of homeostasis or a state of balance. The ECS has many components that enable homeostasis.
The neuroreceptors in the ECS namely CB1 and CB2 are responsible for interacting with the compounds of the ECS called endocannabinoids and inducing the body to take action. For instance, if there is an infection, the endocannabinoids interact with the CB2 receptors to release immune cells to fight the infection. Similarly, the CB1 receptor can help regulate anti-inflammatory effects in the body and also reduce pain
CBD was found through extensive research that it can interact with the ECS and produce similar results to those compounds in the ECS. Some other results show that CBD elevates the effects of the ECS by preventing the endocannabinoids from breaking down. This amplifies and prolongs the effects of the endocannabinoids.
How does CBD help to regulate Stress?
Based on a study, it was found that chronic stress can be reduced by administering chronic CBD every day. Meaning, participants who took CBD regularly in small amounts for at least 14 days, experienced reduced chronic stress levels and had anxiolytic effects.
Another study observed that users of CBD were generally less stressed by 58% than the regular population.
CBD as mentioned before acts as a regulating compound that helps to restore balance in the body. By nature, CBD has a calming effect on the body. With regular intake, CBD can be used to help the body remain calm and balanced while carrying out everyday activities
How to use CBD for Stress?
CBD can be taken in the form of CBD gummies, capsules, CBD oils, tinctures, ointments, gels, cremes, etc. There is a wide variety of CBD products to choose from. You can choose your preferential method depending on the use of CBD.
For anxiety and stress, the most preferential form of CBD is CBD gummies, CBD capsules and CBD oil. This is administered in small amounts every day like a multivitamin. CBD oil is consumed sublingually or prepared with food
As a beginner, it is better to start with small doses and consult a professional before starting CBD for stress. A professional takes into account factors like your age, metabolic rate, statures, lifestyle, etc. before recommending the effective and safe dosage of CBD
Ways to Manage Stress Effectively with CBD
CBD can be used to regulate stress and has anti-anxiety, antipsychotic, and neuroprotective properties.
Apart from consuming CBD every day, one can practice relaxing every day with tools like meditation, journaling, and deep breathing to help regulate the systems
Exercising, setting realistic and progressive goals are also proven methods to reduce stress
Ensuring that one has a positive outlook on life and faces life’s hurdles with confidence and optimism can keep chronic stress and distress at bay.
Final Thoughts
CBD is an effective solution for stress management. It has other benefits like pain relief, boosting the immune system, anti-inflammatory properties and more. CBD products when taken regularly and under the consultation of a professional can have the best effects. CBD coupled with healthy lifestyle choices and giving more attention to one’s overall health and well being can keep the body balanced and manage stress efficiently