I’ve been interested in the benefits of CBD for a while now, but trying to figure out where to even start learning about the industry and what was true vs. false felt so overwhelming that I ended up giving up on my quest for CBD knowledge before it even really began.
As luck would have it one of my fave blogger babes, Jess Keys of The Golden Girl blog, recently wrote an entire “What is CBD Oil and How Can It Help You?” post that included all of the research for me! haha (thanks for always being so thorough in your blog posts, Jess!!) I was super relieved to learn that CBD does NOT get you high, but it has a naturally soothing / calming effect among other awesome benefits. I seriously felt so much more informed and comfortable with the idea of actually taking CBD after reading her post that I placed an order almost immediately. LOL!
Once I received my shipment I couldn’t wait to start taking the CBD supplements and figuring out my dosage! The company I ordered from (called Equilibria) suggests taking a “standard” dosage regimen and to journal how you’re feeling over the course of 7 days to determine what will best meet your needs; they also offer free consultations with an expert to help you find your best dosage (so cool! I love this feature). I figured that it may be helpful to you if I shared my experience, so today’s post is dedicated to my full review.
I am personally interested in the effects of CBD to help lower my anxiety and help me to
relax my mind so that I can fall asleep faster/experience a more restful sleep.
Standard Dosage Recommendation:
nighttime dosage: 10mL liquid oil (held under tongue for 30-60 sec)
morning dosage: 1 soft gel capsule (taken after morning coffee or breakfast)
Honestly, I had no idea what to expect from taking CBD. What I did know about CBD was that there needed to be the teeniest bit of THC (0.3% or less) added to the formula for it to be an effective remedy and I wasn’t sure how my body was going to react (confession: I’ve never tried cannabis edibles or smoking weed, even though I have had plenty of opportunities throughout my life and currently have super easy access to a bunch of legal cannabis shops here in Seattle — it’s just never appealed to me). That being said, I figured that since (a) CBD is federally legal, (b) it’s a natural product, (c) it wasn’t going to get me high, and (d) my fave blogger (and online buddy) Jess Keys recommended it I would give it a try – what did I have to lose?
I started taking the recommended dosage of both products as described and I can’t say that I noticed a single change. The company suggests journaling your experience to help figure out your proper dosage, but I didn’t consciously feel more carefree // especially happy // weird // any “sleepier” or… anything, really. I thought that maybe the products weren’t really all that strong/effective (or worse: maybe these products weren’t even legit and I was paying a premium price for vitamin e capsules?!) so after a couple of weeks, I stopped taking the supplements.
It wasn’t necessarily a conscious decision, I just forgot one day and then slowly got out of the habit — but then I started noticing my anxiety creeping back in… I’d get that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I started to worry about work (or just life in general) and I noticed that my mind had started racing before bed and was keeping me up late again. It turns out that the CBD supplements had been helping me after all! I had just been feeling perfectly -NORMAL- while using the products so there wasn’t necessarily a perceptible change. After getting back into a rhythm of taking the CBD supplements I don’t feel anything special, but I am so much less anxious (I mean, I still worry a little, but it doesn’t cripple me and make me feel super nauseous like my anxiety would otherwise) and I have been naturally falling asleep at a more agreeable hour (with much more restful sleep!). For me, the absence of anxiety is the noticeable part, but only when I actively think about it.
While the liquid oil and the oil capsules both serve the same purpose, they have different use cases: the liquid absorbs faster for more immediate needs whereas the capsules are intended for slow-release. I have to say, I’m personally not crazy about having to hold the “herbal”-tasting oil under my tongue for 30-60 seconds every night (even though it is absolutely effective) so I started playing around with just the soft gel capsules for my daily regimen. Now I take one capsule in the morning after my cup of coffee, and then another capsule in the early evening after I get home from work… this “schedule” seems to be the best system for me — it helps me to manage my stress and generally maintain my overall emotional balance. If I am under extra stress I plan to supplement with the liquid oil under my tongue for a quick boost in anxiety management, but I expect that this will be an infrequent occurrence.
I love the Equilibria brand in particular because they’re not only creating amazing products, but they are passionate about educating people on CBD overall. As I already mentioned, Jess’s post really laid out all of the general information in a super digestable way and I think that Equilibria does a great job of doing the same thing, but on an even deeper level into the realm of CBD products. Educate yo’self! They have a lot of free resources and information on CBD for you to explore.
I highly recommend learning more about CBD, finding out if it could help you to manage something that you’re struggling with (such as: headaches, cramps, stress, insomnia, etc.), and buying any CBD products that you are interested in from Equilibria’s line. Their high-quality CBD has really helped me to manage my stress and I truly believe that it can help you too!
If you’re interested in giving CBD a try and would like a discount on your first order,
Jess has a Equilibria coupon code in her post that I linked at the top of this page!
Has CBD helped you find balance in your life? Leave a comment below to share your story — I’d love to hear it!
xx, Natalie
[…] Some other tricks I have learned along my Sweat Journey: – I almost always have a small washcloth with me in my purse to help dry my hands in times of extreme sweating; – I love wearing shoes by (1) Native because they’re made of rubber and there are no insoles to ruin (buy your normal size because they run a tiny bit big and will allow for some swelling), and (2) Rothy’s because they’re made of recycled materials and are machine-washable! (fit TTS, but if your feet swell like mine do after extended sweating sessions, I recommend going up a half size) – I have seen companies creating undergarments for people who have excessive armpit/torso sweat (such as Thompson Tee, Knix, and Numi); I can’t speak to their effectiveness, but I’m glad to hear that there are solutions to try! – This blanket company has created a product that is made from eucalyptus and naturally regulates temperature so that you don’t get sweaty throughout the night! I haven’t tried it, but it sounds awesome! – I am going to be trying CBD oil soon (my shipment is on its way) to see if it can lower my anxiety levels, thus causing me to be less sweaty from stress. I will report back with my findings in a dedicated blog post (with a small update here). *EDIT* The CBD oil has definitely helped to lower my stress levels, so I have only had temperature-related sweat to manage lately which is great! You can read my full CBD oil review here. […]