HOW TO NATURALLY ALLEVIATE HOLIDAY STRESS

While holidays are happy occasions, many find them stressful for many reasons and use CBD to manage them. Still, the FDA does not look at CBD as a stress medication, so you need natural remedies like exercise, asking for help, mindfulness, and meditation to better manage the stress and enjoy the holiday.

Many of us look forward to the summer holidays since this is when we get to rest and take a break from their routines. Thus, holidays should be happy occasions, and people spend them traveling, visiting friends, and trying outdoor games that spark happiness. Yet, not everyone finds the holidays great; it is stressful for many, which is not surprising. Meanwhile, CBD grows in the hype and demands people see the potential in the cannabinoid, helping with many things, including stress. Still, the FDA does not look at CBD as a medication for stress. There are natural stress management alternatives you want to try, and this article shares them.

CBD Basics

Since CBD won't stop growing in hype and demand and seems like the ultimate solution to every health challenge, you must know what it is and the basics. According to Mascal et al. (2019) and Kicman & Toczek (2020), it is a non-psychoactive chemical compound in cannabis plants mostly extracted from hemp. It comes in many forms, including edibles, tinctures, and topicals, and you can buy it from the stores or online by surfing through your favorite CBD brands. Besides, you can enjoy CBD benefits by exploring one of the three CBD formulations; isolate, full- and broad-spectrum CBD.

Can CBD Help with Holiday Stress?

According to Watt & Karl (2017), CBD is therapeutic, and many want to tap into this therapy. Does the therapeutic nature of CBD mean it can help you manage holiday stress? According to Shannon et al. (2019), CBD helps people manage anxiety, translating to better sleep quality. Besides, García-Gutiérrez et al. (2020) noted that CBD could help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, which is why people take it for stress. Yet, this does not mean that whenever you feel stressed out, you run to the nearest CBD stores; the FDA has not approved using CBD to treat or cure stress.

Which CBD Products Would Help with Holiday Stress?

Since many people go for CBD to manage stress, you may want it too. Which product would be the best for you to manage holiday stress? You can tap into many products, and the choice is ultimately yours. Here are the commonest CBD products for you;

1. CBD oils and tinctures; are the primary way of enjoying CBD benefits. You can add their drops to foods or drinks or take them orally or sublingually.
2. CBD edibles are food-like alternatives, including gummies and brownies that you can try to enjoy CBD with taste and flavor.

• CBD capsules; are a better alternative if you want CBD but find oils bitter and edibles too sweet.

1. CBD vapes are the best for you if you need CBD and fast effects.
2. CBD topicals are the most ideal CBD products if you need to experience CBD benefits but do not want the cannabinoid to interact with the blood.

CBD is not the only way to manage holiday stress. Besides, the uncertain safety or status of the cannabinoid has left many doubting whether to go for CBD. Why not look at the following suggestions on naturally managing holiday stress?

Ask for Help

First, you must know what makes your holiday stressful to know how best to manage the stress. Is it that handling the kids will not leave you time? You may have to ask for help with the kids and tasks and get to enjoy the holiday. You can tap into your closest support system, which can be your friends or family with whom you went for the holiday. However little the help might be, it goes a long way to help you ease tension and be better placed to enjoy your holiday.

Practice Mindfulness and Visualization

According to Harvey & Payne (2002), guided thinking is a key way to manage stress. It refers to the ability to help your mind focus on the present and nothing. Is your terrible past or scary future the source of your holiday stress? Practicing mindfulness helps you feel better. You can guide your mind to take you to a far and safe land where all you can think is peace and serenity, and bringing this into the present makes you feel more relaxed and enables you to enjoy the holiday in a better capacity.

Try Meditation

Meditation might feel like a part and parcel of mindfulness, but it is a strong point that can stand on its own. According to the Harvard Health Publishing (2013), meditation is linked to the parasympathetic nervous system and engaging in it goes a long way to help you feel better. Besides, as you meditate and allow yourself to think about things that happened to you throughout the day, you feel more inclined to relax and experience less stress.

Get Outside

Do you love nature? Many find it helpful and less stressful to go out and watch nature when they feel stressed. Do your holiday walks involve traveling to places that help you appreciate nature? You are better placed to manage stress better. Miyazaki et al. (2011) reported that looking at nature and appreciating its wonders go a long way to help you relax.

Try Exercise

Do you enjoy working out? Many do and find it relaxing, making them manage stress better. Of course, the first few days of working out might be stressful, but getting used to it allows you to enjoy the routine. According to Mayo Clinic, working out is one way to feel more at ease and stay in shape. All you have to do is identify exercises that you enjoy and rest assured that you will keep fit and do what you like while keeping off your holiday stress.

Conclusion

Holidays can be stressful when they need to be the happiest moments. From crying kids to terrible pasts or scary future, you can find every source of stress during the holiday. People use CBD to manage stress since studies claim that it is therapeutic. Still, exercising, mediation, visualization, and asking for help as some of the natural ways to manage stress.

References

Elms, L., Shannon, S., Hughes, S., & Lewis, N. (2019). Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 25(4), 392–397.

García-Gutiérrez, M. S., Navarrete, F., Gasparyan, A., Austrich-Olivares, A., Sala, F., & Manzanares, J. (2020). Cannabidiol: a potential new alternative for the treatment of anxiety, depression, and psychotic disorders. Biomolecules, 10(11), 1575.

Harvard Health Publishing. (2013). Meditation offers significant heart benefits - Harvard Health. Available online: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/meditation-offers-significant-heart-benefits

Harvey. A. & Payne. S. (2002). The management of unwanted pre-sleep thoughts in insomnia: distraction with imagery versus general distraction. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 40(3), 267-277.

Kicman, A., & Toczek, M. (2020). The effects of cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating compound of cannabis, on the cardiovascular system in health and disease. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(18), 6740.

Mascal, M., Hafezi, N., Wang, D., Hu, Y., Serra, G., Dallas, M. L., & Spencer, J. P. (2019). Synthetic, non-intoxicating 8, 9-dihydrocannabidiol for the mitigation of seizures. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-6.

Mayo Clinic. Healthy Lifestyle- Stress Management. Get Moving to Manage Stress. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469

Miyazaki, Y., Lee, J., Park, B. J., Tsunetsugu, Y., & Matsunaga, K. (2011). Nihon eiseigaku zasshi. Japanese journal of hygiene, 66(4), 651–656.

Watt, G., & Karl, T. (2017). In vivo evidence for therapeutic properties of cannabidiol (CBD) for Alzheimer's disease. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 20.