New routines, uncertainty, and a million responsibilities–oh my! Keep reading and discover why more and more remote workers are relying on CBD.
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Perhaps for those already working from home, this year hasn’t been too different from normal. However, with a host of ever-changing social norms and public health policies, we bet they’re feeling the pressure too. Basically, even the hardiest of us are dealing with more stress, particularly those who’ve recently been forced to switch to remote working.
At first, working from home seems like a welcome respite from the normal hustle and bustle. However, the novelty of only getting dressed from the waist up for Zoom calls quickly fades. The days start to run together and soon the line between your work and home life becomes so blurred it’s basically nonexistent. It’s no wonder people are stressed!
Many remote workers, however, are finding relief by integrating CBD into their routine. This handy supplement helps people tune in for work and wind down once the workday is done. Keep reading and discover why many remote workers are relying on CBD.
Why New Remote Workers Are So Stressed
While you might assume remote workers are living it up from the comfort of their own homes, they’re dealing with stress just as much as everyone else. Even before this year, remote working came with its own post and cons. The flexibility and lack of commute are particularly appealing, but in 2017 a report noted that forty-one percent of remote workers reported higher than average stress, whereas only twenty-five percent of office workers did. However, feeling stressed in 2020 is an entirely new experience.
This year, with so many new remote workers, things are bound to get tricky. Here are just a few reasons why new remote workers are so stressed.
New Remote Workers Had To Completely Change Their Routines
While this is something all remote workers have to deal with, this year there’s more to it. Our social and family routines have drastically changed. Even the way we do simple things like grocery shopping has changed. All of that in addition to an entirely new work routine is enough to trigger anyone’s anxiety.
New Remote Workers Might Have to Use New Technology
The commercials might make it look humorous, but the mishaps that come with learning new technology can be mortifying. On the less embarrassing side, you might experience a dropped call. But it’s hard to live down those Zoom meetings when you only realize afterward that your partner was walking around in their boxers behind you. Plus, “zoom fatigue” is a very real issue. Video calls can be particularly stressful, and Harvard Business Review says they require a different, more tiring, type of focus than in-person conversations.
Remote Workers Are Dealing With Less Social Interactions
In the past, you may have grimaced at the thought of awkward elevator chat. However, the isolation involved in remote working has people longing for these once-undesirable social interactions. Plus, with social distancing as the new norm, new remote workers are feeling particularly isolated.
Remote Workers Struggle Balancing Their Work and Home Life
It makes it hard to create boundaries between your work and home life when your office is mere feet away from your couch. For new remote workers who weren’t prepared for this shift, the office might actually BE the couch or kitchen table. Either way, the physical and mental boundaries between home and work are easily blurred.
5 Reasons Remote Workers Are Relying on CBD
In all honesty, the items we listed above are just a tiny portion of the items stressing out remote workers. Many remote workers, however, are finding relief by adding CBD (cannabidiol) to their routine. This supplement works naturally with your Endocannabinoid System (ECS) to keep different bodily systems balanced. In fact, here are five ways CBD may specifically help remote workers…
CBD Can Help Reduce Stress & Anxiety for Remote Workers
This non-psychoactive cannabinoid is particularly popular for its anxiolytic effects. While it doesn’t cure anxiety, several studies indicate it may be successful as a treatment for several different anxiety disorders.
Even without that, your Endocannabinoid System has a safety measure in place to help boost GABA levels when they become too low. This neurotransmitter is what helps us slow racing thoughts and feel calm. For remote workers who can’t stop thinking about what’s stressing them out, this can be particularly helpful.
CBD Can Help You Develop Healthy Routines
Having ANY kind of routine can help instill a sense of normalcy. With all the curveballs this year has thrown at us, however, it’s easy to feel like “normal” doesn’t exist anymore. That’s why it’s so important to get back to basics.
Maybe you’re not able to make it to that exercise class you loved so much, but you can still stay active closer to home. Perhaps you’re longing for those after-work social hours, but you now have the option of participating in Virtual Happy Hours. What’s even more surprising is that CBD can help you get started. First, you’ll want to figure out when is the best time of day to use CBD. This can vary for each of us and often depends on why you’re using CBD in the first place.
If anxiety has you dreading Zoom calls, homeschooling, or even just watching the news, consider adding CBD to your morning routine. Take your CBD and then take an extra five minutes to sit and enjoy your morning coffee. Small moments of mindfulness can help you manage stress and enjoy life more.
For anyone whose aches and pains keep them from being active, use CBD roughly thirty minutes before your workout (whether that’s a walk, yoga, or a HIIT workout). This will help your body relax and prepare for exercise. Plus, if you feel particularly sore afterwards, a massage with CBD Gel can keep your muscles limber and ready to go the next day.
If sleep issues are what originally prompted you to try CBD, then consider developing an entire evening routine around your CBD use. About an hour before bed, use your CBD and then give yourself permission to wind down for the night. Turn off your screens, maybe drink a calming cup of tea, and actually take time to prepare yourself for a restful night’s sleep.
CBD May Help Manage Mood Swings Related to Stress
If you find yourself more irritable lately, you’re not alone. Mood swings can be caused by fatigue, anxiety, hormones, and sometimes chemical imbalances. The stress of switching to remote working, however, can definitely increase mood swings and make it harder to control your emotions.
Luckily, using CBD to manage stress can sometimes be enough to help you manage those pesky mood swings. If your mood swings are on the severe side, CBD may be able to help there too. Frontiers in Immunology published a study indicating that CBD may be a successful treatment for social phobia, depression, PTSD, and even bipolar disorder. Whether you’re trying to balance mild mood swings or even more severe mood disorders, CBD may be able to provide some relief.
CBD May Help Reduce New Aches and Pains From Being Less Active
Even if you weren’t all that active in your office job, you were still walking to your car, walking from your car to your office, walking around your office, etc. Basically, if you’ve suddenly switched to remote working, you’re probably a lot less active than you used to be.
This is an even bigger issue if your home office is just your dining room. If you’ve switched from your supportive office chair to your formal dining room chairs, your poor back is probably aching. Luckily, one of the biggest reasons people use CBD is to treat chronic pain.
While there is research indicating the CBD may balance the neurotransmitters that influence pain perception, a majority of its pain-fighting powers come from being an anti-inflammatory. Regardless of how it helps, CBD may be able to reduce those new aches and pains which will help motivate you to become more active.
CBD May Help Improve Sleep for Remote Workers
For remote workers, sleep problems can be caused by several things. First, being less active just means that your body isn’t as tired. Second, stress and anxiety can make sleep particularly difficult. While CBD may provide relief on both of those fronts, it may be able to help in another way as well.
Your circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycle, is particularly delicate. Stress, hormones, or even chronic pain can be the initial cause of sleep problems. However, once your sleep/wake cycle gets used to that new pattern, returning it to normal can be tricky. Luckily, one of the things your ECS helps regulate is your sleep/wake cycle.
Research indicates it can directly influence the sleep/wake cycle through a series of complex cell signals. By taking CBD, you’re basically boosting the balancing powers of your ECS so it can more effectively keep your sleep cycle balanced.
Try CBD Today and Create a New Normal
Even if you’re not a remote worker, times are stressful. Things can feel uncertain, and when that happens it’s normal to feel anxious. It’s okay to reach out, try new things, and especially to ask for help. If that means reaching out to friends and family more, go for it. Maybe that means talking with a healthcare professional. For you, that might mean adding CBD to your routine to create a new sense of normalcy.
Stress can turn your life upside down, but you deserve to use every tool in your arsenal to fight back. If that means adding CBD, then take a look at our shop and consider trying CBD today. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.