If you suffer from stress or other conditions related to it, such as depression, you’re definitely not alone.

With the ever-growing demands of our society, stress has become one of the most common illnesses in the world. In fact, the 2017 Gallup poll revealed that eight out of ten Americans are affected by stress. Isn’t that huge?

There are two main types of stress: episodic stress and prolonged stress. While the former causes minor headaches and mood swings, the latter connects to serious health conditions. It can cause issues like high blood pressure, anxiety, cancer, and more.

So how do we deal with our stress?

It’s no coincidence that in recent times, there has been an increase in the stress-induced health condition. So clearly, to wipe out the epidemic stress, we will require some radical societal change.

The most effective way of dealing with one’s stress is by reconnecting with oneself. And there is no better way than doing it naturally.

CBD and meditation can help you harness and restore the balance, which results in controlled stress. And thus, it allows you to lead a healthier lifestyle.

But before we talk about them in details, let’s first understand how stress works.

How Does Stress Work?

First, let’s break this myth: stress is not necessarily a ‘bad’ thing unless you fail to get a handle on your stress and it becomes long-term.

Without the ability to feel stress, humankind probably wouldn’t have survived in the first place.

In simpler words, stress is primarily a natural response to change. Depending on how our mind perceives the change, it triggers a physical or mental response. In other terms, you can call it a ‘fight or flight’ response.

This ‘fight or flight’ mode helps us survive dangerous situations. It sends out signals prompting the rest of our body to be alert. For example, if a person runs in front of our car, we would react to the situation by slamming on the brakes. Or say, you saw a shadowy figure behind you at night; you will feel afraid and start walking fast.

Stress may be a vital function of the body. But if left unmanaged, it can cause some serious health conditions.

There are two natural ways to get rid of your stress. 

How CBD Combats Stress

CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is a cannabis compound that offers significant medical benefits, including relieving stress. It does that without making people feel ‘stoned’ or inducing any mind-altering effects on the users.

In 1995, scientists discovered that our human brain has a network of receptors spread throughout. And it was seen that many of our vital organs exclusively interacted with cannabinoids like CBD. That’s how it came to be known as the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).

Now, most of these receptors are located in the area of the brain that controls our stress levels and mood.

Thus, the interaction between CBD and these receptors showed reduced erratic stress signals. They also found that CBD helps to improve our stress response by moderating how we process a stressful situation.

It means that CBD can relieve the symptom of stress while improving how we respond to similar situations in the future.

Although it may have recently made it to the news, its numerous health benefits cannot be ignored.

Meditation for Stress

Meditation, commonly practiced through yoga, reverses the effects of the stress response. It helps improve or develop one’s inherent power in a balanced manner.

The state of deep rest releases neurotransmitters that enhance feelings of well-being, calm, and focus. Thus, it naturally develops our concentration, clarity, and mindfulness.

The practice is developed around either mindfulness or concentration. Concentration-based meditation involves a focus on a single action or object such as focusing on a candle flame.

On the other hand, mindfulness meditation is about getting you fully hooked in the present moment. When you concentrate, you should become aware of and accept your current physical, mental, and emotional state.

In fact, it’s all backed by science. Health Line published a paper last year that listed the benefits of meditation with scientific validation. And guess what? Stress relief was at the top of that list. There were many other benefits such as anxiety relief, improved sleep, and increased memory and attention.

Our Final Thoughts

We understand how dealing with stress can be so tiring. It’s time for a positive change.

With so many constant sources of anxiety and stress, people need a more holistic approach to healing.

Incorporate CBD and meditation into your life, and watch your stress level go down. They are a powerful combination to improve your mental and physical well-being.

With regular routine, you can achieve a sense of inner peace and clarity. It will also have a direct impact on happiness in your life.

We hope this article was able to motivate you enough to start practicing meditation. We wish you a stress-free life ahead. 

Cite this article as:
Editorial Staff, "How to Overcome Stress With CBD and Meditation," in Medicalopedia, February 15, 2019, [Permalink: https://www.medicalopedia.org/7272/how-to-overcome-stress-with-cbd-and-meditation/].