CBD and Workplace Stress
Britons put in long hours at work, often exceeding the legal 48-hour weekly limit. Recent research highlights that **21% of Brits** worked over **50 hours a week**. This can lead to **tiredness, frustration, and stress**.
No wonder then that many people get stressed from and at work. Quite often, the work environment and relationships afflict workers and make them apprehensive about going to work.
Unfortunately, stressed employees and workers are not only less productive but also less happy. There is much talk about work-life balance and how work should be a fulfilling environment rather than a mentally challenging one. How does one achieve that, though?
In the absence of a good alternative to a stressful job, an increasing number of people in Britain are experimenting with CBD to manage their mental health and relieve their life of work-related stress. Many GPs are prescribing anti-depressants and conventional medicines, but an increasing number of people are exploring CBD as a gentler and more natural alternative.
What causes workplace stress?
There are many factors that can cause workplace stress on people. Workplace stress is all around us. According to research, 29% of British people in employment think that their work-life balance is in favour of work rather than life. They feel that this negatively impacts their mental health.
According to the same research, 36% of Britons experience anxiety and depression throughout their professional life. Workplace stress seems to be affecting all demographics, from young adults entering the workplace today to more experienced employees and workers.
Management and supervisors
Many workers complain of a fraught relationship with their supervisors, which makes them anxious and apprehensive. Management can become exhausting, rude, and rigid. Inconsistent communication, lack of support, and unrealistic expectations can create a hostile or uncomfortable working environment.
Relationship with colleagues
Another reason for workplace stress is the relationship with colleagues, which can be sometimes tense. Negative interactions, gossip, or lack of teamwork can create tension and anxiety, leading to dissatisfaction and strain.
Quality of work
The type and quality of work can also create stress. Work that isn’t creative or interesting but is rather repetitive and boring can quickly cause anxiety. If an employee feels that their tasks are monotonous, unchallenging, or mismatched with their skills and interests, it may lead to dissatisfaction and stress.
On the other hand, overwhelming workloads or constant pressure to perform can result in burnout. Arbitrary or unreasonable deadlines are another source of stress. Tasks that keep changing and projects that extend beyond a logical deadline can also create misgivings at work.
Fear of public speeches
Many people freak out if they must give a public speech. In the workplace, the fear of presenting in front of peers and superiors can add to stress, especially for those who are not naturally inclined or trained in this area.
How can CBD help with workplace stress?
With so many reasons why people may feel stressed at work, it’s no wonder that an ever-increasing number of Britons are looking into ways to alleviate their workplace anxiety. CBD’s popularity means that people are talking about its relaxing potential. Hence, 38% of Britons would consider taking CBD to manage their mental health.
While there are no CBD studies focusing exclusively on workplace stress, there seem to be many ways that CBD may help with workplace stress.
Anxiety
CBD interacts with the brain neurotransmitters and helps balance their production. In particular, CBD reduces the production of cortisol, which is the hormone associated with stress.
A little bit of stress is beneficial because it helps us stay alert when we are in danger. However, fraught conditions at work don’t qualify as our bodies being in danger. Yet, the mind thinks so and produces cortisol. Consistently elevated cortisol levels disrupt the mind and body and can lead to a multitude of health issues.
CBD appears to regulate cortisol levels, helping keep them at manageable levels. Since high cortisol levels are associated with heart problems, high blood pressure, weight gain, and mental imbalances, this is an area well worth studying more.
Mental focus and creativity
Mental focus and a creative mind are always helpful at work, no matter the type of work you do. When you get stressed, your mental clarity is usually affected and you lose focus on the task at hand. This causes anxiety because you risk underperforming at your job. It also stops you from showing how successful and productive you can be.
CBD seems to help with neuro-regeneration in the brain. It appears to help brain neurons be more active. In addition, it creates a neuroprotective action. When the brain is healthy, it works better and it’s happier. That’s when you are at your best at work.
Public speaking
Very few people enjoy talking in public. They find it psychologically taxing and unnerving. Unfortunately for them, many jobs require public speaking tasks, whether for management purposes or during presentations.
CBD has anxiolytic properties and may help calm your nerves before a public speaking engagement. That can make you more successful at work and more engaging when speaking in public. People will relate better to what you are saying, which can impact positively your job position and your mental health.
CBD and random workplace drug tests
Many workplaces organize random drug tests for their employees. Drug tests check for metabolites that show the presence of illegal drugs like cocaine, THC, opiates, methamphetamines, and ecstasy. These metabolites are produced by the liver when it metabolizes these substances.
CBD is not among the drugs being tested. However, THC is. To avoid running into any trouble, be careful about the CBD product you choose. Opt for reliable and trusted CBD producers who run third-party lab tests on their products to check for THC levels.
Choose a reliable CBD product
For a CBD product to be legal in the UK, it must contain less than 0.2% of THC per dry matter which means untraceable quantities in the final product. Because the CBD market is not regulated the same way that medicines are, you may find CBD products that haven’t been tested or that were produced under dubious farming and manufacturing conditions.
If you want to be certain about your safety, always select a reputable CBD producer. Not only will this ensure that you won’t fail your drug test, but you will also find it much easier to achieve the desired effect.
CBD product categories
If you are worried about the presence of THC in your CBD, opt for broad-spectrum CBD or CBD isolate products rather than full-spectrum ones.
CBD products can be categorized into three broad categories:
- Full-spectrum CBD products contain all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids found in industrial hemp. Hemp contains over 120 cannabinoids, dozens of terpenes, and many flavonoids. Full-spectrum CBD contains all these botanical compounds including traces of THC below 0.2%.
- Broad-spectrum CBD products contain the full wholesomeness of CBD but without the THC traces. The final product has been processed to take out the minute quantities of THC that might be present.
- Alternatively, you can choose CBD isolate, which is pure CBD without any other cannabinoid, terpene, or flavonoid.
CBD products in the UK
There are many ways you can take your CBD at work.
CBD edibles are easy to consume and discreet. You can choose CBD gummies, pills, or oils, depending on which one works best for you. Edibles take about two hours to start having an effect.
You can also take CBD sublingually to help your body get a boost of cannabidiol in a faster way. Typically, a few minutes are enough for you to start feeling the effects.
In addition, you can vape your CBD for quick results that take effect almost immediately but this might be frowned upon at your workplace.
As for CBD topicals, their effect is only localized to the skin, so they may help in case of sore muscles due to stress. You can also use products such as CBD bath bombs to relax and destress after a tiring day at work.
Dosing and microdosing
It’s difficult to establish a dosing plan for CBD. The NHS hasn’t issued a recommended daily allowance so most people follow the “start low, go slow” rule: they start with a low dosage of CBD and notice how their body reacts. They then increase the dosage until they reach the desired effect. A low dosage is usually considered to be around 10 to 15 mg of CBD per day. Find out how to calculate your CBD oil dosage according to CBD format here.
You may also choose to take CBD only when you feel you are going through a stressful phase at work. Say, for example, that you are responsible for a particularly stressful project that will be running for a couple of months. In this case, you can choose to only take CBD for this particular time frame to relax your work-related mental stress.
Many people experience constant workplace anxiety. In their case, taking CBD long-term may help alleviate their mental stress and manage their mental health better.
Those who choose to take CBD long-term often opt for microdosing. They take smaller doses of CBD throughout the day to maintain the levels of cannabidiol in their blood constant. Microdosing helps from experiencing peaks and troughs of CBD in the bloodstream.
CBD for workplace stress
Many people are switching from conventional anxiolytics to CBD, mainly because they don’t want to experience the side effects of medicines. There is a growing tendency towards more natural compounds that may help workers, employees, and professionals better manage their mental health, particularly if workplace stress is present.
There is growing interest in CBD as a stress-relieving compound and preliminary findings are promising. It appears to help people relax their minds and focus their attention on the task at hand, which is very useful at work.
CBD is non-intoxicating and well tolerated by the human body. It has few side effects and is non-addictive, which helps calm people’s possible reservations about it. Although there is a lot we don’t know about CBD, anecdotal evidence and clinical trials are looking hopeful. Because CBD shows no real harmful side effects, many people try it and assess whether it works for them. If you wish to join them, check out our CBD oil reviews and our guide to the best CBD oil stores in the UK!
Nicholas Rossis, PhD is a specialized, NSF-trained writer who has written hundreds of posts on CBD and nutritional supplements. His work combines critical acclaim with the analysis of the latest news, studies, research, and legal developments in the world of CBD, providing readers with valuable data and insights.
