CBD can now be found anywhere from specialized dispensaries to CVS and Walgreens.
The compound’s recent popularity is due partially to the variety of health benefits that it’s been linked to. CBD has been shown to reduce anxiety, improve sleep, soothe aching muscles, and even help stabilize mood.
CBD has grown beyond the realm of holistic health junkies and into the workplace. The compound is starting to get noticed for its ability to help users perform better at work. Better yet, the hemp-derived compound was decriminalized with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, so the risk and stigma of using the compound on the clock have dropped. Plus, the compound is available in a variety of forms from drops to gummies that cater to users’ individual preferences and health needs.
CBD for Your Career
You might not think of cannabis as appropriate for the workplace, but CBD isn’t a psychoactive compound. Here’s how it might help you perform better at work:
1. Recover from physical activity faster.
Athletes have discovered that CBD reduces inflammation and supports sleep. Professional golfer Bubba Watson recently expressed his support of the compound, explaining that it’s extended his career and improved his quality of life. Pro climber Steph Davis listed CBD as an essential part of her bedtime routine.
If your job involves strenuous activities like lifting boxes or repairing home fixtures, experiment with delivery methods and dosages until you find one that works for you. Sublingual CBD tends to be absorbed the fastest, but it’s also eliminated from the body faster than other methods. Oral consumption tends to deliver long-lasting relief, but it can take more time to enter the bloodstream.
2. Age better and work longer.
Career longevity isn’t just a concern for professional athletes or workers whose job is primarily physical. Because Americans are working longer across the board, disorders once associated with retirees are starting to show up in senior workers.
According to a study by the Harvard Neurodiscovery Center, more than 5 million seniors have Alzheimer’s disease, more than 1 million have Parkinson’s disease, and more than 300,000 have multiple sclerosis. But an even more common culprit associated with aging is arthritis, which impacts nearly 50% of senior citizens. Mental health also often declines with age: Mental Health America found that nearly 30% of seniors had an anxiety disorder that severely impacted their quality of life.
For each of those conditions and more, CBD shows promise. The cannabis compound has been linked to a reduction in pain caused by arthritis. It’s also been found to reduce symptoms related to anxiety, depression, and even PTSD. CBD may even assist with movement disorders like Parkinson’s. Best of all, cannabis could even reverse the aging process in the brain.
3. Sit for longer periods.
Sitting may be the new smoking. Extended sitting has been linked to increases in obesity, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol levels, and even cancer. These hazards are especially concerning considering most office workers spend their entire workdays seated — only to go home and sit some more. Adding movement into your day, even if it’s just a short walk, can dramatically improve your health and reduce the risks of staying seated for too long.
Although it’s no substitute for movement, integrating CBD into your day might reduce some of the more hazards of being seated for far too long. Sitting can create low-back pain — particularly if you already have poor posture — but CBD may reduce muscle pain. Next time you feel sore, pop a CBD supplement and stroll across the office.
Work is a huge part of life, so it’s critical to take care of your health at the office as well as at home. Whether your job requires you to perform at your peak physically or simply sit in a seat, CBD could be your best bet to minimize pain and maximize performance.