After debating and going back and forth on whether to incorporate CBD into your lifestyle, you finally decide to give it a try. You did all the research and have determined that the benefits make sense and the risks are minimal. To your chagrin and disappointment, the abundance of pros and properties you were expecting did not show up. Why is CBD not working for you? Why is it not curbing your anxiety or mitigating your insomnia or helping your mood improve?

CBD is different for everyone and you can even respond differently to one type of CBD product over another. There could be a number of reasons why CBD hasn’t “worked” for you, and there is no way to pinpoint just one root cause. In addition to all the ways that CBD is made (the various ingredients that go into each product), there are individual differences in how you specifically metabolize CBD.

Don’t throw in the towel too quickly if you aren’t reaping all the benefits of what full-spectrum CBD has to offer--you may not have found the right formula that works for you, whether that is what you take, when you take it, how much you take it, or what else you are taking. In today’s article, we are offering you 3 overarching methods to improve your wellness regimen for better outcomes when incorporating CBD into your lifestyle.

1. MAKE SURE YOU ARE TAKING THE RIGHT PRODUCT

WHAT ARE THE GENERAL TYPES OF CBD PRODUCTS?

At a high level, we can categorize CBD products into how they are delivered to your endocannabinoid system. There are ingestibles, otherwise known as edibles, such as gummies and capsules, oil tinctures, and topicals.

• Edibles - these have varying dosage levels and are usually a great introduction into the world of CBD if you are new to it. The effects are released slowly throughout the day as it has to be digested fully and processed through your liver before it is felt. When in gummy format, they come in different flavors (such as our regular and sour gummies) making it tasty and easy to incorporate into your lifestyle. When in capsule format, they can be taken along with vitamins and other supplements without much change to your routine.
• Tinctures - these are oil concentrates of full spectrum CBD that is generally taken sublingually (or can be mixed into food/beverages and consumed that way) for fast release and “immediate” impact. Because they come in concentrated form, this is also the form of CBD where doses can be adjusted to fit your needs.
• Topicals - these are various products that are applied externally for different target areas and another way to provide your body relief. Effects are generally more subtle as CBD is incorporated into products as a way to enhance the products’ effects, unlike edibles or oil tinctures where the goal may be to get higher potency doses of CBD.
  

Knowing the difference between the types of products that are out there, it can be easy to find something that is suited for your specific needs.

2. MAKE SURE YOU ARE TAKING THE RIGHT AMOUNT

How do you know if you are taking the right amount of CBD? This can be very tricky as everyone reacts differently and there are personal differences in how it is metabolized. It can be a bit overwhelming initially to know how much to take. However, the great thing about CBD is you can really start small and build your way up without having to worry about adverse effects from having “too high” of a dosage.

Full-spectrum CBD will have zero or trace amounts of THC (less than 0.3 percent) so it is not psychoactive in any way. This is a common confusion between CBD and THC, but with this clarified, you can confidently trial different dosages of CBD until you find something that works for you.

When CBD drops are placed under the tongue, they are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and the effects can be felt in 15-20 minutes, if not sooner. Depending on what you are seeking out, you can take a secondary dose if you feel that your anxiety is not being reduced, you are not getting relaxation sensations, or nothing has changed for you physiologically.

ARE CBD TINCTURE OILS THE ONLY WAY I CAN CONTROL MY DOSAGE?

CBD oil tinctures are not the only way that you can manage your CBD dosage level. It is the delivery method that is the simplest to track and tweak, but you can technically manage your dosage with other product types as well.

For example, when it comes to edibles and ingestibles, take a look at the level of CBD in each capsule or gummy, and increase it if you feel that the effects are not kicking in as expected. Since these are all pre-measured, the recommended amount is going to be per gummy or capsule. This makes it a little tricky to do half doses or increase in small increments.

With gummies, you may try splitting the gummy in half or in quarters to test it out. The other thing to keep in mind is that anything that is ingested will have a delayed impact. It releases throughout the day, so it will be hard to tell whether or not the different dosages have an effect. A trial and error with edibles would have to take place over the course of a few days so you can compare. If that isn’t a deterrent for you, then by all means, go for it!

2. MAKE SURE YOU ARE TAKING THE RIGHT AMOUNT

As much as we want to think that we do not live in a digital society, so much of our lives and our day-to-days are wrapped up in the internet and technology. This includes email, texts, social media, streaming platforms, and more. It can feel very overwhelming when we are constantly “plugged in” per se.

As much as self care might sound like “binge an entire season of a show on Netflix over 48 hours”, we would not recommend this approach. Yes, what you really want to do after a long week is to not think and not have to process anything. Being a couch potato would accomplish that, but it will not give you the feeling of being recharged.

While we don’t expect you to go on a digital detox every weekend, it will do wonders for your overall mood and well being to turn off the phone and the computer and the television for a few hours and ground yourself with just you and the “real” world. Here are some suggestions for what you can do if you are feeling uncertain:

3. INCORPORATE CBD INTO YOUR WEEKEND

Whether you’re an avid proponent of using CBD in your routine, or if you like to use it once in a while, CBD is a great option if you are one of the individuals who have trouble prioritizing self-care or unplugging.

CBD comes in a number of different forms and formats and has several benefits that include stabilizing your mood, reducing anxiety and overall stress, helping with inflammation and pain (if you are tense), and even mitigating insomnia. Those are all areas and issues that can compound over time. And they certainly will if they are “minor” things that are continuously being neglected. Some of our favorite ways to incorporate CBD include the following :

• Adding it to your morning tea or breakfast coffee using a CBD tincture. This is a simple and low effort way to dose and allows you to increase or decrease the amount based on how you are feeling.
• Taking an edible form of CBD at the beginning of the day where the effects will be slowly released and you can enjoy the benefits of full spectrum CBD over the course of the day. Our gummies are a delicious way of doing that.
• Using CBD infused topical products in place of your standard ones. Lotions, face masks, aloe vera, and other topical products come with CBD options as well. If you are feeling extra strained or physically worn, replacing your usual products will give you some added relief.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Self-care is a ritual. And sometimes after a long week, all we want to do is take it easy. More often than not, that’s enough to give us the necessary recharge. However, if you are consistently having long weeks, it can be more and more difficult to unplug. Before long, it is a spiral that is out of control.

So if you’re struggling to unwind and detox your mind, body, and soul, take a few of these tips and push yourself to prioritize your well being.