This year, a big topic of conversation is “How can I create a healthy work/life balance?” and “What is a healthy way to unwind and decompress after a long day?” If you find yourself asking these questions or find yourself wishing you could bust out a bottle of wine at 4 pm – then this post is for you. There’s no better time than now to recommit our health and wellbeing by taking extra good care of ourselves. Self-care can come in many forms, and from what I’ve noticed in my own life, dedicating even just a few minutes a day can make a significant impact. Showing up for yourself daily is what matters.

For many women, our typical coping mechanisms are gone. Maybe your favorite gym or yoga studio has shut down. Perhaps you miss your daily commute to and from work and find yourself missing that alone time for processing your thoughts. With so many folks working from home, our typical signals for starting and stopping work are gone. So now we have to rely on our coping skills to develop a good work/life balance.

Unwinding with CBD vs. Alcohol

A good day tomorrow starts with planning NOW!

It’s essential to set yourself up for success the best you can. That way, you can hit the ground running tomorrow. Sure, you may have had a completely horrible day, but is a bottle of alcohol the best approach for unwinding? These past couple of years, I’ve heard from many women that they’re leaning on alcohol more than they’d like to. We certainly don’t judge. I know these have been some of the most challenging years in history, but in times like these, building healthy habits can pay off down the road.

Many women have told me that they enjoy their cocktails and wine for a few hours in the evening, but their sleep suffers from drinking so much alcohol. Maybe 1 or 2 glasses turns into 4 or 5. I’ve heard time and time again, “wine helps me unwind, but then I find that I have very fitful sleep and wake up in a bad place in the morning. And that starts the stress-cycle all over again.”

If this sounds familiar to you, now is the time to build a new healthy after-work habit. That way, when stress starts to ramp up again, you’ll have a plan in place for tackling it with ease and grace. Here’s a self-care routine that will set you up for success without leaving you tired & grumpy the following day.

After Work

Consider pairing your Daily Drops with a small amount of exercise. Try taking 1/2 Dropper (5mg/0.5mL) of Daily Drops about 15 minutes before your workout. Be sure to hold the Drops in your mouth for about a minute. That way, they can absorb properly through the sublingual glands in your mouth.

Then do some movement for 15 minutes. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy! If you’re cooped up in a tiny apartment or don’t want to leave your building, then do a quick workout right where you are. Here are some ideas:

• 15 minutes of push-ups
• 15 minutes of walking up and down the stairs
• 15 minutes of jogging in place or jumping jacks (yes, really! These count)
• 15 minutes of yoga or Pilates
• 15 minutes on your Peloton/stationary bike
• 15 minutes of a Zumba dance party

CBD To Maximize Your Workout

Studies also show that pairing CBD up with exercise can amplify the endorphins in our bodies. Endorphins are the feel-good chemicals that we release when we exercise. Endorphins are WHY people work out – to experience that spike in Dopamine and Anandamide (sometimes called “the Bliss Molecule”). Anandamide is the chemical compound responsible for that “runner’s high” feeling after a hearty workout, and CBD helps to keep Anandamide in the body. These feel-good chemicals allow us to respond better to stress, feel less discomfort, and experience deeper sleep.

For me, I like to shut my laptop, take 1/2 Dropper (5mg/0.5mL) of my Daily Drops, and then go for a quick walk around the block. Usually, I feel in a much better head-space by the time I get home. It helps me process my thoughts from the day and transition into my evening activities. So you might find a quick workout to be an excellent “reset” button!

After your quick workout, tend to whatever you need to get done. Make supper, help the kids with their homework, finish those last few emails, FaceTime your family, and see if you find yourself feeling a little calmer and grounded. Many women find that a small dose of CBD oil heading into the evening helps them feel more patient and present with their families. I find that my worries have turned down a notch, and I’m not worrying, scheming, and planning frantically for the next day.

CBD Bath For Mindfulness

Next, you might consider unwinding with a luxurious CBD-enriched bath. Try one of our Balancing Bath Bombs or Mindful Mineral Soak with 50mg CBD. I like to use the Bath Bombs for nights where I have plenty of time and want a spa-like experience for unwinding and de-stressing. The Bath Bombs come with the most amazing scents: Cardamom Rose and Lavender Lemongrass. I find that they also really help with dry, itchy winter skin.

I like to use the Mindful Mineral Soak when I need a quick therapeutic result and don’t have time for a long, luxurious bath. For example, maybe I worked out too hard on the bike the day before and have sore knees, or perhaps my back and neck are sore from writing emails on the couch. The Mindful Mineral Soak helps ease tension and muscle soreness, and the Jasmine Gardenia scent is heavenly.

Bonus points: You might also consider downloading a meditation or mindfulness app like Calm or Headspace! The premium subscription to the Calm app comes with guided meditations, mindful music playlists, and stories for relaxing and falling to sleep. I love to put on some tranquil music while taking my CBD bath.

CBD For Unwinding

Next, you might consider turning your phone on silent and putting all your electronics aside about 1 hour before bed. That way, you’re not exposed to the blue light from my devices, making it hard to fall asleep. 1 hour before bed is also an excellent time to take another dose of Daily Drops, like 1/2 Dropper (5mg/0.5mL). This helps set the stage for sleep. Then, you can unwind by reading a book or listening to a sleep story from the Calm app.

The idea of cultivating a healthy night-time routine is to set you up for a good night’s rest and a good day in the morning. Regular users of CBD often report getting a better quality of rest, staying asleep through the night, and waking up with less discomfort in the morning.

Are you struggling with unwinding at night? Consider setting up some time with a Certified Wellness Coach to find the best routine for you. You can email us at wellness@myeq.com. Every purchase grants you unlimited product support and a phone call with a Certified Wellness Coach.

We’re here for YOU. We want to make CBD easy, and we know that your time is precious. So let us know how we can help set you up for success and healthy coping habits that will treat you well in 2022. To see our suite of organic, premium Full-Spectrum CBD products, visit www.myeq.com.