This might be the most obvious statement you’ve ever heard but I’ll say it anyway: the pandemic has been long and challenging. Our lives have been thrown through a loop. The pandemic has been a source of excessive and prolonged stress. Like many of us, there’s a good chance you’re feeling burned out.
Burnout is a phrase used colloquially to mean, “I’m tired of school!” or “I’m sick of work!” But burnout is also a serious condition that can manifest itself both physically and mentally. It’s critically important to seek support and prevent burnout.
Thankfully, we’ve got a few other tips to reduce stress and help with the general sense of malaise we’ve all been feeling!
Regardless of the reason, burnout is common. Don’t be ashamed and don’t be afraid to take proactive steps like creating a self care plan. After all, it’s also best to stop burnout in its tracks. As much as it might be appealing to daydream about escaping your life and living the rest of your days on a desert island, it’s not realistic. So for now, utilize these self care strategies to improve your health and avoid burn out!
Burnout can be hard to spot because it’s so vague. Those experiencing burnout usually describe it as a period of life defined by a general sense of malaise. It might not be as crippling as a full-on depression, but it’s also a lot more challenging than just a couple of bad days at work.
Burnout can manifest both mentally and physically. Health care professionals have created a list of many common symptoms of burnout:
A recent high profile example of mass burnout has been with health care workers. As we’re all aware, health care workers during the pandemic have been subjected to long hours with patients and at times grueling work conditions. Compounding the emotional toll, sometimes they lose patients despite all their best efforts. This has created a sense of compassion fatigue.
These situations create the conditions for an entire profession that’s at greater risk of burnout. But the good news is, there is evidence to show that one compound is particularly effective at relieving almost all of the mental and physical symptoms of burnout – CBD! Better yet, its effects are almost immediate and don’t require time to build in your system before providing relief.
Check out this study released in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It details the efficacy of CBD in treating burnout symptoms of medical health professionals. For these folks, CBD reduced symptoms of burnout and emotional exhaustion, allowing them to focus on compassion for their patients.
It’s hard to imagine a group that’s endured more hardships since the Covid-19 pandemic began. Their embrace of CBD is a strong testament to the power of the cannabinoid movement as a whole.
We’ve used the phrase self-care several times in this article but haven’t done a great job of explaining it. Self-care is the practice of taking care of ones physical and emotional well being.
As you might imagine, self-care can manifest in literally hundreds of different ways. Everything from waking up early, to exercising regularly, to healthy eating and caring about your appearance.
For instance, in my own personal life, I have self care strategies. Nevertheless, I’ve discovered that I tend to become anxious and depressed and my energy levels suffer when I don’t workout regularly. The workout can be anything, from lifting weights to running the stairs of my apartment building. As a result of this knowledge, I place exercise above all else in my self-care regimen.
We might all have our own particular self-care tips. Some folks exercise, some love meditation, others take frequent deep breaths on a regular basis. But perhaps the most versatile tool in fighting burnout is CBD.
The great benefit of CBD is that it works within your Endocannabinoid System aka ECS.
The ECS is responsible for maintaining homeostasis in our bodies. Which is why adding a cannabinoid like CBD to your system doesn’t just help with physical health, but also mental wellbeing!
Let’s get a little more concrete about how CBD helps.
Perhaps one of the most debilitating effects of burnout is when people struggle with sleep. In turn, this becomes its own vicious cycle.
Let’s suppose you’re feeling listless and depressed at work. When you get home, the anxiety or depression you’re feeling about work impacts when you fall asleep and how restful it is. As a result, you’re getting less restful nights than ever before.
So what happens then? Less sleep means you’re not only less healthy, but more tired, anxious and depressed!
That’s where CBD comes into play and halts that vicious cycle. Here’s a study from 2019 that details how CBD has a profound calming effect on the central nervous system.
As a result, the study showed a significant decrease (79%) in anxiety scores among patients. What’s more, almost two-thirds experienced a significant improvement in their sleep as well.
We lead stressful lives filled with high risk endeavors. We don’t practice self care, we put our feelings aside to work longer hours than ever before. We don’t pay attention to loved ones around us.
A significant symptom is when people start feeling more anxious and stressed about everything. People could experience additional anxiety when faced with challenging situations at work. Or they might even find themselves growing more anxious despite not having external sources of stress.
Which is to say, sometimes we’re stressed and we don’t even know why!
That’s where CBD comes into play. Again, since CBD works within our body’s Endocannabinoid System, it doesn’t just address the common aches and pains that plague us all. But also factors into your overall mental health as well.
Stress resilience is an extremely important part of emotional homeostasis. Stress resilience is someone who evolves a sense of control over their surroundings and the external stressors in their life.
According to this study from the Institute of Physiological Chemistry, the Endocannabinoid System has emerged as a “central integrator linking the perception of external and internal stimuli to distinct neurophysiological and behavioral outcomes.”
In layman’s terms, that study shows that the ECS has a profound effect on how our body copes with the stressors around it.
So just by feeding your body CBD, you’re replenishing a system that helps regulate and monitor your physical and mental well being. Pretty phenomenal!
We’ve talked about how CBD helps your body maintain homeostasis. But we haven’t addressed the research that suggests a deficiency in endocannabinoids can be problematic to so many different human functions.
Researchers have linked decreased endocannabinoid functioning to lower pain thresholds, along with problems with digestion, mood and sleep.
It just goes to show, CBD is the fuel that drives our endocannabinoid system which is singularly responsible for so much of what we do.
–CBD Transdermal Patches – These topical patches can be applied to areas of your body that are sore and in need of relief. For up to eight hours, Transdermal Patches also deliver CBD directly into your bloodstream.
–CBD Full Spectrum Oil Drops – These oil drops strengthen your endocannabinoid system, bringing into balance all those functions negatively impacted by burnout. Think of this as a full-service replenishment of your ECS!
–CBD Bath Bombs – These bath bombs turn any tub into whole body therapy. Your body absorbs the CBD, which instantly works to combat the physical and mental effects of burnout, while relaxed in a warm, comforting bath!
Sure, we all live busy lives. Sure, sometimes our work life balance is off. But our physical and mental health should always come first. If you’re experiencing symptoms of burnout, know that you’re not alone. Practice self compassion with yourself. There are literally tens of millions of people worldwide who have experienced symptoms of burnout within the last two years. You’re absolutely not the only one.
There’s even more good news. We know how to treat and avoid burnout. Regardless of your symptoms or the source of your burnout, CBD helps. Go to our website to learn more!