Mental Health Awareness Week #tohelpmyanxiety
If you’ve found yourself here, on the Lady A CBD website, there’s a good chance you might be someone who experiences anxiety. A study revealed that the highest proportion of CBD fans use this amazing supplement due to self-perceived anxiety, something which Mental Health UK has estimated over 8 million people in the UK are experiencing at any one time.
It’s because of this that Anxiety has been chosen as the theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness week (15th - 23rd May 2023) - a time during which we are all encouraged to “think about mental health, tackle stigma, and find out how we can create a society that prevents mental health problems from developing and protects our mental well-being.”
What causes Anxiety?
Anxiety can range from worrisome niggles in the back of your mind, to a debilitating disorder that can prevent you from living your life. But there’s no single cause that Anxiety can be attributed to.
For some, it might be feeling overwhelmed by daily stressors such as finances, the impending climate crisis, work deadlines, or the responsibility of being a parent or carer. For others, they may be a deeper root cause, such as trauma, or potentially even an imbalance in the body, such as an endocannabinoid deficiency.
What are the symptoms of Anxiety?
The symptoms of Anxiety range depending on the severity, but it’s important to recognise the symptoms and respond accordingly so that Anxiety doesn’t become overwhelming.
According to mentalhealth.org which is raising awareness for Mental Health Awareness Week, symptoms of anxiety commonly include quite physical signs such as heart rate increasing, headaches, stomach aches, loss of appetite, breathlessness or chest pain, as well as feeling tearful, problems sleeping and concentrating, irritability and nervousness.
As the symptoms of anxiety are so widespread and varying, it’s generally advised to seek the advice of your doctor if you’re experiencing anything out of the ordinary.
What can I do to manage Anxiety?
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, a social media campaign is being launched to share resources and Anxiety management practices with the hashtag #tohelpmyanxiety
As per the findings in the study mentioned above, many people turn to balancing supplements such as CBD to help manage their Anxiety. In the case of CBD oil, like the Lady A Anytime Tincture, one of the key ways this works is via the endocannabinoid system (ECs). Tinctures are ingested and therefore have a longer onset but are also long-lasting. Alternatively, several of our customers want an instant and fast acting relief which is why we have designed the anxiety pens.
To naturally combat the cascade of stress and anxiety, our body releases neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids. One of these endocannabinoids, Anandamide (named after the Sanskrit word for ‘bliss’) works rather like a gatekeeper for stress and anxiety in the brain, by preventing the rollout of ‘fight or flight’ chemicals unless completely necessary. The CBD molecule (the most abundant cannabinoid in CBD oil) supports the ECs by encouraging higher levels of these endocannabinoids in the body.
Other practices recommended for managing anxiety, such as meditation and yoga, also elevate endocannabinoids in the body. Mindful practices like being in nature, breath work, and brief cold exposure have also risen in popularity among those struggling with anxiety, and ‘green therapy’ such as gardening, is even prescribed by some GPs!
Of course, sometimes anxiety can be so great that something more is needed, and this is where support and community are so valuable. This is why, during Mental Health Awareness Week, mentalhealth.org will be talking to politicians and decision-makers about what can be done as a nation to support good mental health.
Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #tohelpmyanxiety
What are good coping strategies for Anxiety?
Getting help and support from friends, family, and the wider community is vital for us all to maintain good mental health. Some find that using CBD oil products every day very helpful too. But when anxiety strikes, there are some coping strategies that many people feel help alleviate acute feelings of stress and panic.
The 3, 3, 3 rule: Sometimes all you need is a practice to ground you and bring you back to the present moment. The 3,3,3 technique is commonly used for this. Look around and name three things you can see. Then name three sounds you can here. Then move three parts of your body.
Breathwork: You can go really deep with breathwork and spend your life expanding your practice, but a quick and easy one for anxiety is to inhale through the nose for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, and exhale through the mouth for 5 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
Catch it, check it, change it: Catching unhelpful anxious thoughts when they arise can be tough, but life-changing. When an unhelpful worry arises, stop, step back, and decide whether there’s any evidence to support the worry or if there’s anything you can do about it. When you realise it’s an unfounded or unhelpful worry, take the opportunity to deliberately reframe your thoughts as something more positive.
Want to know more about using CBD for anxiety this Mental Health Awareness Week? Read our blog on using CBD for anxiety, here.
