CBD, or cannabidiol, is a type of natural dietary supplement that many people are using for everything from chronic pain to anxiety. There is a very common misconception that it marijuana, since it is derived from the same plant, but with the THC removed, you will not get the “high” you get from marijuana.
Using CBD is a relatively new practice, which has become more popular in the last few years. However, if you are looking to improve your health and wellness journey, it can be a great addition.
In this report, you will learn how you can utilize the benefits of CBD, including adding it to your daily routine, and learning the proper dosages, ways to use it, and some other helpful tips.
What is CBD?
CBD is legal in all 50 states in the US because it does not get you high, and does not contain any THC in it. However, since the supplements are not currently evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, it is considered a nutritional or dietary supplement.
CBD or CBD oil comes from the hemp plant, which is the same plant where you get your medical marijuana, though it won’t contain any of the THC. This caused some confusion in the beginning, but rest assured, you will not experience any type of high or intoxication from just using CBD.
Why is it So Popular?
There are a few reasons for this. First of all, it has shown to be very effective. CBD is a type of natural supplement, that helps tremendously with sleep, stress, anxiety, and chronic pain. It can allow you to get the benefits from the hemp plant, even if you have no interest in using medical marijuana.
It is also easy to find, since it is currently legal in all US states, though you should look into your exact state’s regulations, as they might vary slightly.
In fact, it is so convenient that you will often find it in drug stores, grocery stores, and convenient stores.
Why Add it to Your Daily Routine?
This is completely optional, but if you are looking for a way to improve your health, sleep better, or simply reduce some stress you are experiencing, it can be a great natural solution.
Deciding Which Type of CBD is Right for You
The first thing to do is decide what type of CBD is going to be right for you. There are many forms, strengths, and brands of CBD, so you have a lot to consider before you buy it. The research you do beforehand will become vital not just in choosing a brand that is reputable, but also in what kind of CBD you want and the strength that will be best for you.
What are Your Ailments?
Think about why you want to use CBD, and what is motivating you the most. This all comes down to mental or physical issues you might currently have with your health or wellness.
Pain, inflammation, insomnia, anxiety/depression, stress, etc.
It can help to make a list of what you are currently struggling with, either physically or mentally, and then consider which of those are going untreated or undertreated. Maybe you just deal with stress without actually trying to improve it, or you take pain medications for your inflammation, but it doesn’t help much.
Understanding what you want to treat is not only important for dosage and strength of CBD, but also when it comes to what form of CBD to buy and how to best add it to your routine and make it most effective.
In addition to the primary benefits of CBD, some people have reported that it helped with:
- Skin health and reducing acne
- Reducing headaches
- Other types of chronic pain
- Heart health
- Indigestion and gut health
What Form of CBD Works the Best For You?
CBD, like many other supplements, comes in more than just one form. While many people chose the oils or tinctures in the beginning, companies have released a plethora of other varieties.
This is going to come down to convenience and personal preference. Here are some to consider:
Oils and Tinctures
One of the most popular types of CBD is in the oil itself. This is often in its purest form, arriving in a tincture bottle with a dropper. The great thing about the oil is that it can be used in many different ways. You can put a few drops on your tongue, add it to coffee or tea, or even apply it to skincare products.
Gummies and Softgels
Many people prefer to just take a pill, so a lot of CBD companies offer both softgels and gummies. The gummies are flavored and taste similar to other fruit-flavored supplements or vitamins on the market. The softgels are of course oral supplements that you swallow. This makes it really convenient and easy to get your CBD.
Edibles
Similar to medical marijuana, you can also find CBD that has been used in edibles, like cookies, candy, brownies, and many others.
Skincare and Haircare
Since so many people have found CBD to help with their skin and hair, there are also some companies offering lotion, moisturizer, haircare products, and face masks with CBD in them.
Salves and Lotions
Lastly, you can look into salves and body lotions if you are trying to reduce chronic pain or inflammation with your CBD.
Details on Choosing Your CBD
When it comes to finding the right CBD, there are a few things to consider:
- What is on the label.
- The dosage.
- Warnings and potential side effects.
Here are some things to keep in mind about each of these areas:
The Ingredients and Labels
Always read the label before purchasing your CBD, and look into the company if possible. You want to know they are in fact using real CBD in the product, and also that it is quality CBD without additives or GMOs. Look at the ingredients to see if anything else is included.
Dosage
While dosage in general does not have limits, you do want to use their recommended dosage as a starting off point. Just like any other medication, start with the lower dosage, and only increase it if you feel you need to. Generally, about 10-20mg of CBD a day is a good place to start.
Introducing CBD One Habit at a Time
Now that you know the basics of different types of CBD and their benefits, we can move on to adding CBD to your routine. This is going to start with your habits.
As you may know, a habit is simply something you do on a regular basis, whether you think about it or not. The more you focus on a new habit, the easier it becomes to do without thinking about it.
If you want to improve your overall health and wellness with the use of CBD, adding it to your routine is a great way to do that. But you want to focus on adding it to one type of habit at a time, instead of becoming overwhelmed by it.
Try Just One Type of CBD to Start With
The reason you want to start with one form or type of CBD is because you need to know what is working for you, and what isn’t. If you try a stress relieving gummy, oil, and edible all at the same time, how do you know which is actually helping with your stress or whatever else you are hoping to improve?
It is best to take it slow, do your research, and choose the type of CBD that is most appealing to you. Here are some questions to ask yourself to figure out which one is best to start with:
- What is the ailment you are most concerned about?
- What type of CBD are you curious about?
- Which form of CBD has the lowest starting dosage?
- What is the most convenient for you?
This is going to be a completely personal decision. Some people prefer edibles, while others like the oils. Some people want help with mental health, while others have pain or skin conditions they want to improve.
Change Only One Habit or Routine at a Time
Along those same lines, you should only change one daily routine or habit at once as well. This is done for a few different reasons. First, similar to the type of CBD, you don’t know if the routine change is helping unless you only change one thing at a time.
For example, if you are dealing with anxiety and stress, and take a different type of CBD, during your morning, afternoon, and nighttime routine, how do you know which was the one that helped the best? It could be your morning routine, your nighttime routine, or a combination of them.
Another reason to change one habit at a time, is because that makes it much more likely that you will stick to it. Far too many people try to develop multiple habits at once, and it makes it to where you fall behind or get overwhelmed.
Take it slow and steady.
There is Always Room for Improvement
By going about this slowly, you will have a better idea of what is helping your ailments, and what forms of CBD are just not working for you. Like all supplements, what works for one person, doesn’t necessarily work for the next. This is why you should go slowly when introducing anything new to your routine.
If you are writing down the changes to your routine, and what CBD you are trying out, you should be able to see pretty quickly what is effective, and what isn’t.
Creating Your Perfect CBD Routine
If you want to use CBD more on a daily basis, and possibly multiple times a day, then you will need to work on developing a routine. After you have tried it out with different habits throughout your typical day, it will be much easier to create a routine with it.
Let’s go over morning and nighttime routines, as well as how you can track your CBD use and benefits.
CBD for Your Morning Routine
The first routine you probably focus on in your day is your morning routine. This is a great time to start using CBD, when it comes to getting more energy, waking up refreshed, and reducing any stress or anxiety you might have. It is also when many people use CBD for chronic pain, as you might wake up stiff after a long night of laying in one position.
Wake Up Refreshed
It is not uncommon for people simply to use CBD in the morning to feel refreshed, get more energy, and boost their mood. This is when regular CBD oil or gummies are great, or you can get ones with other ingredients that help you feel more energized in the morning.
Use CBD in Your Coffee
Something that has been becoming more popular recently is using CBD oil in your coffee. You would blend it up or just add it to hot coffee, along with milk, creamer, or anything else you typically have in your coffee.
Reduce Stress First Thing in the Morning
Many people wake up with a lot of stress or anxiety, whether because you didn’t sleep well, or you suddenly remember everything you need to get done. This is when it can be really helpful to add it to your morning routine. Maybe you take a gel capsule, or you like to have an edible with your breakfast. There are many options available to you.
CBD for Your Nighttime Routine
There is also room in your nighttime routine to use CBD, for things such as stress or anxiety, sleep issues, or just winding down after a long day.
In fact, this is probably more common than having CBD in the morning. At night, it can help with so many things. Here are just a few options:
Use the Oil When You Meditate or Write in Your Journal
CBD helps a lot with relaxing and reducing anxiety, making it the perfect combination to your nightly ritual of
writing in a journal or meditating. Use a little oil or take a capsule in the evening as part of your bedtime routine.
Try a Sleepy Time Gummy
You can find gummies that contain CBD as well as other ingredients to increase drowsiness, like melatonin. This is perfect for the evening.
Add it to Your Skincare Routine – As part of your daily self-care routine, you can use the lotion or moisturizer made with CBD, both to improve your skin, and to pamper yourself a little.
Tracking and Perfecting Your Routine
You will never arrive at one perfect daily routine that never has to be changed, but by tracking your routines and habits, you can make improvements over time that make it more efficient and beneficial.
Start using your journal when you first change your habits or add the CBD to your routine. Every day, write down what form of CBD it was, the strength and dose, and what time of day you used it. Then write down if you noticed any changes.
Do this every day for a few weeks to look for any trends. Do you have less stress? Did it help with your headaches? Is your skin looking better? Every detail you can provide is important!
Tips for Balancing Your Health and Wellness with CBD
Focusing on balance is important in every area of your life, from your diet and exercise routine, to your lifestyle habits, and yes when it comes to using dietary supplements like CBD.
Here are some helpful tips when it comes to using CBD for your health and wellness journey:
Don’t Be Afraid to Try New Things
A part of living a healthy, balanced lifestyle, is making consistent changes to your routine when necessary. The same goes for adding CBD to your daily routine.
If something isn’t working – change it! There are so many adjustments you can make to your routine. You can try a different form, change a different part of your daily routine, increase or decrease the dosage, or stop using it altogether.
The beautiful thing about working on your health and wellness routine is that you have full control over it. As your life changes, so will your routine.
Focus on Different Areas of Your Health and Wellness
It is also a good idea to focus on some different issues you might have in regards to your health. You might have gotten CBD for your anxiety, but do you have inflammation or chronic pain as well? It is good to address these other issues as well.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you are taking other vitamins or medications, consult your doctor about combining CBD with them.
Don’t Rely on Just One Form of CBD
While this is completely optional, it can help you feel more balanced when you try different forms of CBD. This goes hand-in-hand with trying new things. Maybe you have been using the oil for a while, and you want to try gummies or even edibles.
Know When You Might Need a Break
There is no reason you have to take CBD forever, if you don’t want to. Maybe you start taking it for stress, but then your lifestyle changes and your stress in general is reduced quite a bit. This is when you can experiment with using a little less of the CBD to see if you are able to handle it on your own.
Cautions and Side Effects About CBD
Everything comes with its potential risks and side effects, and CBD is no exception. While they are minimal, there are some things you want to keep in mind before you begin adding it to your daily routine.
Know Dosages When Taking it Multiple Times a Day
It is really important that you track and pay attention to the dosage of your CBD when you take it multiple times a day. While there aren’t “overdose” amounts as of yet, you still want to be careful, just like you would with any other natural or dietary supplement.
People are good about knowing the dosage each time they take it, but if you have CBD in your morning and nighttime routine, and sometimes in the middle of the day, you could be risking taking more than you need or should be having. This is why tracking is so important.
Know the Ingredients
You also need to be aware of the other ingredients in your CBD, especially if you are taking a gummy, which might have other ingredients. For example, many CBD gummies meant to help you sleep also contain some melatonin in them. You don’t want to take more melatonin than is safe, so you shouldn’t take other sleep aides at the same time.
CBD is a wonderful way to change your daily routine and focus on your self-care and overall health and wellness.
