What exactly is stress?

What we perceive as stress today was once a sensible measure taken by the body to be able to react adequately in life-threatening situations. Only this way could our ancestors successfully cope and survive encounters with predators, famine and cold or other dangerous moments. When there is danger, the heartbeat and breathing accelerate, the pupils dilate, the muscles tense more and people are ready to flee or fight.While man sharpens his senses, alert and obedient to his instincts, all non-combat organ systems, such as the digestive system, work much more slowly. Part of the cerebrum also pauses, so that people can react more quickly and with greater concentration to external events. When the danger is over, relaxation sets in, heartbeat and breathing slow down again, other areas of the body resume normal work, and life goes on. At least that was the case with our ancestors. There was a natural alternation between tension and relaxation, without this type of stress necessarily leading to any psychological or physical damage.

The stress nowadays

Even if today’s causes of stress are different from those of our ancestors, the processes in the organism are still the same as they were some time ago. Although we are not exposed to hunger, cold or the danger of predators here and now, our organism does not know this and therefore runs the same program as before.Today’s triggers for stress are mainly due to our modern lifestyle. Overstimulation through digitization and electrification, enormous performance and time pressure even at a young age, interpersonal conflicts, existential worries and traumatic experiences lead to stress today. Unfortunately, this often becomes a permanent stress that our ancestors did not know. Since no organism can cope with this type of constant stress, a wide range of mental and physical illnesses often develop from it.

What stress can do to the body

While stress that is perceived as positive, called eustress, can stimulate mental and physical highs, distress, on the other hand, makes you downright ill. Because stress has a lasting effect on the entire metabolism. Numerous neurotransmitters or hormones (norepinephrine, adrenaline, cortisol, etc.) are released. If there are not enough phases of rest and relaxation between the individual stress phases, permanently existing high blood pressure and blood sugar levels pave the way for overacidification of the body and chronic diseases. The more concentrated gastric acid and various free fatty acids also lead to problems that are sometimes irreversible.Ahmed Tawakol, who works at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and his team came to other, no less frightening results:Stress seems to be directly related to cardiovascular disease. Malnutrition, excessive alcohol and cigarette consumption can also be caused by stress factors. Animal experiments suggest that stress leads to increased activity in the bone marrow and that inflammatory processes are also promoted.Stress also appears to affect the amygdala in the brain. This part of the brain’s limbic system is responsible for strong emotions such as anger and fear, among other things. Studies indicate that there appears to be a link between inflammation, bone marrow activity and amygdala activity. Further research that is intended to show the negative consequences of today’s constant stress on people’s mental and physical health is still pending.

Symptoms of constant negative stress

Over time, those who suffer from stress develop typical symptoms that show how low the energy level actually is.Irritated mood, hypersensitivity, trouble sleeping, digestive problems, high blood pressure, and more can all be signs of stress. In the long run, stress can also weaken the immune system and promote chronic pain and inflammation. A healthy person who rests in his center and always provides rest and relaxation opportunities seems to get sick less often than a permanently stressed person.

Relieve stress, but how?

If you not only want to reduce classic burnout, but also the risk of other stress-related illnesses, you should do something about permanent stress without delay. Everything that helps the body, mind and soul to relax supports stress reduction. Rituals and methods to counteract stress can be meaningfully integrated into everyday life and thus become a natural part of life.The following methods have proven themselves time and time again for many people and are therefore often recommended as a way of reducing stress:

Sports

Many athletes report that their sport, especially endurance sports, helps them release stress and worry. This effect also seems to be lasting, which is why athletes often have fewer stress symptoms than non-athletes. Simply jogging releases various endorphins and endocannabinoids, which, among other things, ensure lasting relaxation and mental well-being.

Meditation

Even when meditating, changes in the organism occur, which lead to more relaxation not only in the body. The brain waves switch to another mode and the whole person comes to rest without having to react to external or internal stimuli. It can become empty, go from doing to being and literally shut down all senses.

Progressive Muscle training und other relaxation techniques

In progressive muscle relaxation, conscious tension and just as conscious relaxation and letting go are trained. Man feels again. “It’s not my body that’s tense, it’s me that’s tense.” Through this conscious perception and actively induced tension, relaxation can also be allowed again. Autogenic training also involves deliberately influencing the body. But unlike progressive muscle training, autosuggestion is used here and the body is sensitized to its own commands and imagination. Relaxation can actually be trained in this way.

Yoga

Also with yoga people can learn to pay attention to their physical well-being and to relax mentally, emotionally and physically. Other ways to reduce stress are walks in nature, a hobby such as painting or making music and, of course, a stress-reduced everyday life that also allows for regular breaks. Even with nutrition, you can boost your energy and mood a little. Oatmeal, for example, contains nerve-protecting B vitamins and the amino acid tryptophan, which is known as a precursor to the happiness hormone serotonin. Magnesium is plentiful in nuts and is used up more quickly when there is increased stress. Bananas or dark chocolate also serve as food for the nerves and seem to be able to lift the spirits.

CBD for stress

CBD can combat stress and its health consequences on several levels. Because the endocannabinoid system with its numerous receptors is just as present in the brain as in the rest of the body. This system is responsible for controlling mood, appetite, pain perception and many other factors and can be positively influenced by cannabinoids such as CBD. Studies indicate that CBD promotes relaxation, has an anxiolytic effect and reduces pain.

But CBD should also be able to relieve existing inflammation and have a regulating effect on excessive immune responses, which can also be a symptom of stress. The stress hormone cortisol is also said to be inhibited by CBD. Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenal cortex, which is said to have an anti-inflammatory effect. When stressed, however, it is increasingly released and then has a toxic effect on the organism. As so often, CBD seems to play the role of a regulator here, because it has a regulating effect on the body’s own processes in several areas. In this way, cardiovascular, metabolic and immune-reactive processes can be protected by processes that are kept in balance. Because these processes react extremely sensitively, for example, to decreasing corticosterone releases, which can also occur as a result of stress.

How can CBD be used for relaxation?

CBD can also be taken for a long time without fear of side effects or habituation effects. Of course, the living conditions responsible for chronic stress should be addressed. If you want to experience a change in life, you have to initiate it yourself. However, CBD can help you see things more calmly and, as an accompanying aid, also make you more resilient to stress. This alone can reduce the feeling of stress somewhat. However, if you want to take CBD as a medicine for massive disorders, you have to see a doctor, because higher concentrations of CBD require a prescription and have been used for some forms of epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, among other things, for some time. For other people suffering from stress, a CBD oil in the form of a dietary supplement could help to increase their own well-being in the spirit of self-care. High-quality CBD drops that contain the full spectrum of cannabinoids and other ingredients of the cannabis plant are particularly recommended here.

The optimal dose of CBD oil for stress

CBD oil comes in different concentrations and is usually taken in drops. It is advisable to put the drops under the tongue, where they are quickly absorbed through the oral mucosa. Initially, the user should rather use a low-dose CBD oil and take 2-3 drops 2-3 times a day. Especially before bed, the relaxing effect seems to be able to develop well according to users. If necessary, the number of drops can be increased over time or you can switch to a CBD oil with a higher CBD concentration. However, the dosage is to be made individually, so that the topic of self-awareness begins here and brings the stressed person back into the here and now.

CBD cannot work miracles either. However, if we actively work to minimize stress in our lives, consciously take breaks and integrate exercise into our everyday lives, CBD oils can become a valuable addition to this new routine.

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