Get Through Quarantine Stress Naturally with CBD
Whether you’re practicing social distancing or on an official quarantine order, overcome stress the natural way with CBD.
Let’s face it, we’re all pretty stressed out right now. The situation changes every day and we’re dealing with a ton of uncertainty. It’s enough to make even the most unperturbed leaders sweat. There’s no right or wrong way to handle this situation because there’s very little precedent for it.
One thing we CAN control, however, is how we respond. That all starts by minimizing stress and developing mental strength. We firmly believe in the stress-fighting properties of CBD (cannabidiol). But when you combine CBD with the following practices, you’ll develop a personal routine designed to alleviate stress and boost your mental fortitude.
So whether you’re practicing social distancing or on an official quarantine order, use the following information to boost your mental health and overcome stress with CBD.
Quarantine vs. Social Distancing vs. Isolation
First, there seems to be a lot of confusion over the following terms. So let’s clear the air and make sure we’re all on the same page.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) defines social distancing as, “remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.” Areas affected by this would include stadiums, shopping centers, movie theatres, etc. The request for social distancing has led to the cancellation of thousands of events, and while this is annoying it’s a necessary action.
This term has taken on a new meaning as many local governments request that their citizens follow this practice. It’s not necessarily a requirement, but it’s not something to be taken lightly. Because COVID-19 can be transmitted even when someone isn’t showing symptoms, it’s possible to still catch the virus from healthy-seeming people at the grocery store.
Quarantine, on the other hand, is defined as, “the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been so exposed, to prevent the possible spread of the communicable disease.”
So, if someone isn’t showing symptoms but may have been in contact with someone who IS sick, they’re put in quarantine. Some people may self-quarantine, while others may be requested to quarantine themselves by a health official.
Isolation is, “the separation of a person or group of people known or reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease and potentially infectious from those who are not infected to prevent spread of the communicable disease. Isolation for public health purposes may be voluntary or compelled by federal, state, or local public health order.”
You don’t have to be officially diagnosed with COVID-19, but if you’re showing symptoms it’s best to self-isolate until you’re able to receive a test OR until you’ve been symptom-free for several weeks. No matter which category you fall into...it’s pretty dang scary.
A lot of us are used to getting out of the house, socializing, hugging, etc. The fear associated with these practices is understandable. But that fear can lead to stress, which can cause unnecessary strain on your mental and physical health.
That’s why developing methods to deal with stress are so important.
How Does CBD Help You Fight Stress?
We all know what stress feels like. Some might describe it as a general sense of unease, fear, mood swings, etc. But stress can also be experienced as headaches, muscle aches, sleep problems, anxiety, and/or depression. Honestly, stress can take on about a million different forms. Chronic stress, however, can lead to a host of other, more serious, physical problems.
When your body is constantly stressed (chronic stress) it can cause extreme fatigue to your internal systems. Our bodies weren’t meant to exist in a constant state of fear, and over time it negatively impacts your cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory, gastrointestinal, nervous, reproductive systems, and even your immune system. In a time when being healthy is vitally important, being stressed will make things that much harder. Check out our article detailing ways to use CBD to boost your immunity here.
Before the coronavirus impacted our daily lives, people were already using CBD to overcome stress. That’s because CBD has the ability to boost the effectiveness of your body’s ECS (endocannabinoid system). This system helps the rest of your body maintain balance. Sometimes that means balancing hormones, your sleep cycle, or your panic responses. So giving your ECS more fighting power just means it’s able to do its job better.
The proof is in the pudding though, as several studies have indicated how CBD can reduce anxiety. One study showed decreased anxiety in patients using CBD, where researchers observed blood flow changes to the areas in their brain responsible for stress. Both academic research and anecdotal evidence, however, suggests that CBD shows great promise in reducing depression, anxiety, panic disorders, and even PTSD.
How to Get the Most Out of Your CBD
Like most adaptogens and supplements, you won’t experience the full benefits of CBD by using it once. By using CBD every day, you’ll slowly boost your ECS so that it can more effectively balance your other systems. You might not feel the effects right away, but you’ll just notice less stress, less pain, and probably better sleep. For more information on how CBD feels, click here.
We recommend starting with a high-quality CBD Oil so you can experiment with doses and see what works right for you. Always start low and go slow. For more information on how to determine your dose, click here.
Once you know what dose gives you the relief you need, try out the following practices to get the most out of your CBD.
Develop a CBD Routine
Since many of us are practicing social distancing, we’re finding ourselves at home more often. For some of us, that might not be a big change. But for others that might be a HUGE lifestyle change. We’re creatures of habit, and big changes like that can be mentally jarring. That’s why developing new home routines is SO important.
If you can work from home, develop specific spaces and times for work. If you’re now home-schooling kids, for the love of god make sure there’s a designated nap/break time. But whatever your routine consists of, make sure that taking your CBD is a part of it. This is all in the name of mental health, but if you need some ideas, try...
CBD Yoga or Workouts
Being active is good for your body AND your mind. If you’re looking for something to keep you limber and emotionally centered, yoga is fantastic. It requires next to no equipment (a mat is nice, but not required), there are LOTS of free beginner and advanced yoga videos online, and there are lots of physical and mental benefits to yoga.
If you need a sweatier routine to burn off some of that stress, then there are about a million different ways to workout at home too. Regardless of what type of activity you prefer, using CBD 15-20 minutes before a workout will boost the stress-fighting properties of physical activity. Plus, if your workout is intense, CBD is great for muscle soreness.
CBD Meditations
If you’re new to meditation, or if you’ve tried and just COULD NOT clear your mind, CBD may be just what you need to develop a fulfilling meditation practice. The GABA boosting properties of CBD will help slow racing thoughts and its analgesic properties will make it easier for you to get comfortable.
CBD for Sleep
This one should be pretty obvious. Stress can make it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, and/or have quality sleep. Luckily, the anxiolytic properties of CBD make it easier to calm your mind before bed, and the analgesic properties make it easier for your body to relax and unwind.
CBD to Curb Panic Attacks
Millions of people around the world experienced anxiety and panic attacks before COVID-19, but its hard to believe the number of people experiencing them won’t increase in the coming months. Whether you’re new to panic attacks or not, CBD can be a huge lifesaver.
As you develop your CBD routine, general anxiety will lessen. However, panic attacks can still happen, and using CBD right then and there can help you get a grip.
Pro Tip: CBD Vape Pens are great to have on hand if you’re worried about panic attacks. Take a puff or two from your pen and you’ll begin to feel relief in as few as 2-3 minutes.
Conclusion
We hope this information gave you some ideas for developing your own mental health routine to get you through this time. As we said, this is a new situation for all of us. It would be easy to panic and make rash decisions, but by making smart choices about socializing we protect the people who are most vulnerable.
Remember, too, that you must take care of yourself. Drink plenty of water, socialize with loved ones via the internet, minimize stress, and grow your mental strength. There’s nothing wrong with feeling stressed (honestly, who ISN’T stressed right now), but don’t let it detract from your physical and mental well-being.
Be sure to check out our shop so you can get your hands on the CBD product that’s right for you. We hope everyone is doing their best to practice social distancing. So consider giving us a shout-out on Instagram and let us know what social distancing looks like for you. You just might get featured on one of our stories ;)
Stay safe and wash your hands!
Hannah Walker is a mostly-retired University English instructor who spends her time freelance copywriting. When not doing that, she’s writing articles related to CBD, skincare, and/or media. With an MA in English-Creative Writing she’s probably working on a creative piece at this very moment. See more about Hannah’s work on her website or on Instagram.