What is CBD

CBD has taken the world by storm over the past 2 years and continues to evolve. People have sworn by it for decades, but it’s now at a point where it has become more readily available to purchase than ever before.

The science backs it up too, with countless studies showcasing that it genuinely does reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress when integrated as a part of one’s lifestyle.

CBD versus THC

Despite all the hype, CBD is still a relatively new idea to many people, so it’s not surprising there’s quite a bit of confusion around it. The two things people have heard of are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol ) and CBD (cannabidiol). Both are molecules within the Cannabis plant, but do different things.

They are both referred to as phytocannabinoids, but THC gives you psychoactive effects where as CBD does not. Many people assume because they both derive from the same plant they have the same affects, but this isn’t true. As they interact with different parts of the brain, they have vastly differing affects.

THC gives you a sense of high by binding to cannabinoid receptors within our endocannabinoid system (a crucial part of our nervous system). While CBD doesn’t bind directly bind to cannabinoid receptors, it is said to boost levels of naturally occurring endocannabinoids – which is why it has such a wide range of uses. It’s also proven to interact with our serotonin and opiod receptors, which is why it is so effective.

AS CBD interacts with our endocannabinoid system, it has an affect on a variety of functions:

Digestion
Metabolism
Mood
Memory
Sleep
Motor control
Pain perception
Immune function

Reduces Stress

On average, 18% of the population report feeling some form of anxiety. Remember that’s just the people who actually report it. You then take into account the global happenings over the latest year and begin to realize that a huge population of the world will likely be suffering some form of stress. Countless studies continue to showcase the positive effects CBD has on reducing the symptoms of anxiety, which is why in my mind it is more important to discover this now than ever before.

Reduce Pain

Many of us have been sitting at the same desk, in the same chair for almost 12 months now. Shoddy posture leads to back pain which really isn’t a pleasant thing to have to go through on top of everything else. CBD has a track record of working with our brain to reduce the pain we experience.

Aiding Sleep

CBD has been proven across a multitude of studies to inhibit calmness, which is perfect for people who are struggling to drift off. There’s so many different products on the market right now from pillow sprays to sleep drops and beyond.

Skin Care

Many people suffer from skin conditions such as dermatitis and acne and as we find ourselves in stressful situations, these can flare up. CBD has showcased a strong correlation in helping to reduce these symptoms. With acne for example, it greatly reduces the amount of sebum created alongside calming inflammation (two massive triggers of acne).

Increase Your Sex Life

Next up I’m going to talk about sex. And you know what, I’m not afraid to. Having great sex on a regular basis is proven to reduce stress and keep you happier. For those singletons amongst us, our sex lives haven’t been the most eventful over the past year. Even partners have struggled to find the time between home schooling, entertaining kids, working and finding that ‘special time together’ being stripped away given the stress or being together every waking minute.

So if you have been finding your mojo has deflated or that you’re not as easily able to hit that big O (yes, I am referring to an orgasm), then CBD may be the answer.

Using CBD infused lubricants increases the blood flow, making our nerve endings more sensitive, the result of which came be a much more sensual orgasm.

How can you buy CBD?

There are so many ways you can purchase from capsules, oil and tongue sprays to sleep drops, wrist rolls, seltzers, bitters and more. We really are at the infancy of CBD discovery. Stay tuned as we put together a variety of ‘best product’ lists on this topic soon.

In the meantime, check out some of these sites for CBD inspiration:

www.OTOcbd.com

www.hollandandbarrett.com

www.canabidol.com

Here we have a sense we don’t often think about beyond just music yet it has so many benefits for our mental health and wellbeing, especially in promoting calmness.

If we’re at home chances are we’re surrounded by the same person or people and that can lead us to feeling quite irritable. Isolating ourselves, plugging in some earphones and just listening to SOMETHING can detach us from that reality and for a brief moment allow us to escape

Sound as a Healing Therapy

Sound as a healing therapy dates back all the way to the Ancient Greek times, where it was used to help people with mental health issues and those in pain. Over the years with more technology and understanding we’ve been able to cultivate this more than ever and specigically when it comes to music, improve our mood and mindset. Whether listening to music, singing to music, moving/dancing or playing an instrument – billions of signals are fired through our brains, giving us a sense of euphoria and calmness. That’s why there’s such a thing around singing in the shower.

Meditation

There are so many different types of meditation each of which offer their own benefits. For a full list click here.

mindfulness meditation
spiritual meditation
focused meditation
movement meditation
mantra meditation
transcendental meditation
progressive relaxation
loving-kindness meditation
visualization meditation

There’s also something called Ambient Meditation which I discovered recently. As we’re working from our homes this could very well be a saving grace. Instead of focusing on peaceful sounds, it helps us combat and normalise the distractions of life, such as traffic, creaking radiators and the general distasteful noises we encounter throughout the day. By normalising them, we can become more productive throughout the day.

Sound Hypnotherapy

This is a technique I have used for years in order to help me drift off to sleep. Whether anxiety of insomnia, I’ve had my fair share of difficulty attempting to get some shut eye and the various apps (such as Calm and Breethe) that offer hypnosis sessions have been a saving grace.

ASMR - Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response

It might sound a little weird, but I’m going to just say it – I love the sound of people eating soap. Yep, a hard bar of soap. I know, weird right? But its true. And I’m not alone. ASMR highlights noises that subjectively our brains find incredibly relaxing and focus on. (Let me be clear in that they spit the soap out, they aren’t actually swallowing it – so please DON’T start doing this yourself – it’s also about the noise of others, not ourselves.)

ASMR is described as feeling like a mild electrical current running from your brain slowly all the way down your body and is initiated by auditory and visual stimuli. Things like gentle whispers, loud chewing, tapping or repetitive sounds are all classed as ASMR sounds. It took me a while to figure it out as I thought I was just getting irritated and frustrated, but when you begin to actually concentrate on it you do inf act begin to feel more relaxed and alert. Odd, but affective.

Podcasts

There’s so many genres, everything from learning to self-guidance, wellbeing and more. It doesn’t just need to be about bettering yourself either, follow your passions and listen to something you find genuinely interesting. One particular thing we should all be on the hunt for right now is something to make us laugh – laughter is life’s medicine I always say! Every time we smile of laugh our body sends a surge of positivity through our bodies into our brains, resulting in us feeling better. The same goes for each time we learn something and feel self-growth.

Self Healing: https://open.spotify.com/show/0oHwerYHy5f1cYzd9qldsP

Binaural Beats Sleep: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX8h3zQNo57xG

What is CBD and How Can it Help?