How CBD Could Help You Stay Present and Engaged with Your Family

As a busy mom, you've got a lot on your plate – responsibilities that can leave you feeling stretched to the limit. Instead of living life in the moment, you're tired, preoccupied, and maybe even feeling a little overwhelmed from time to time. Are your racing thoughts and parental distractions keeping you from fully appreciating the precious moments of day-to-day family life? 

If your answer is yes, you're not alone. The human brain isn't exactly wired for continuous mental multitasking. It's exhausting. Today's experts say practicing mindfulness is the key to health and happiness. How can you stay mindful when life's many curve balls leave you feeling exhausted or stressed – maybe even mildly anxious? Consider trying CBD. It's a safe, natural plant element with an impressive list of possible benefits that could help you stay more present and engaged with your family. 

CBD 101: Understanding Its Impact on Emotional Regulation, Stress Responses, and More   

CBD (cannabidiol) is the most abundant of the many cannabinoids in hemp flower. Most experts credit its impressive list of possible benefits to the cannabinoid's ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) receptors – molecular targets involved in nearly every crucial function in your body, your moods and emotions, stress responses, sleep cycles, immune system function, and more.¹

Although most of the evidence supporting CBD use is based on decades of lab reports, animal studies, and a limited (but increasing) number of clinical trials, many researchers believe supporting ECS function with CBD promotes homeostasis² – meaning it helps restore equilibrium when internal and external stressors threaten essential balance.³ What could that mean for keeping life's distractions from disrupting family time? A lot more than you might expect. 

The Big Picture: Connecting the Dots Between CBD and Mindful Engagement   

Mindfulness is not a state of being achieved overnight. There's no magic switch that flips because of your desire to be more present for your children or partner. With practice, however, you should see gradual improvements within the first 2-4 weeks and continued progress over several months. Once you make a habit of living in the moment, you'll be open to discovering more enjoyment in experiences, encounters, and activities once taken for granted.  

Some experts suggest practicing mindfulness meditation for a minimum of 5-10 minutes each day, a discipline that could help clear your mind as you focus on inhaling and exhaling naturally. Others recommend practicing short bursts of mindfulness throughout the day. In other words – focused on the sights, sounds, and sensations of your surroundings. When your mind wanders, acknowledge your thoughts, and return your attention to the present. Based on the results of a 2019 CBDistillery® survey of 1,900 customers, there are also several ways CBD could help you achieve the mindfulness you crave.   

You Could Feel Calmer & More Collected  

Day-to-day stressors impact everyone differently. Whether your tense muscles and racing thoughts are triggered by a direct threat to your physical well-being or a worst-case scenario playing on repeat in your mind, the physical, mental, and emotional toll is the same. Of our 1,900 survey participants, 89% say CBD calms their minds, and 82% feel CBD is more effective than meditation. 

You Might Feel More Focused & Attentive  

Stress often escalates to full-blown anxiety. Regardless of the circumstances triggering the chaotic response from your central nervous system, your elevated cortisol and adrenaline levels can make it difficult to relax, unwind, and enjoy family activities undistracted. An impressive 88% of our respondents say CBD helps with mild or temporary anxiety – meaning you could feel more focused and attentive.   

You Could Feel More Rested & Resilient  

Too little sleep and poor sleep quality can limit your ability to feel connected and engaged. Not only will you feel physically depleted, the "network instability" in your brain can interfere with decision-making, impulse control, and concentration.⁴ Of our 1,900 survey respondents, 89% report that CBD helps improve sleep without causing morning grogginess. 

Shopping for CBD: The Importance of Choosing the Right Products  

Now that hemp-derived CBD products are sold just about everywhere, you might be tempted to pick up the first tincture or jar of gummies you find. Before you do, it's important to understand that CBD purity, potency, and overall quality can vary by manufacturer. The best way to ensure you're not wasting money, risking your health, or stalling your progress is to buy third-party tested products from a reputable brand. 

But don't let any claim of third-party testing go unchallenged. Of the 75% of CBD brands labeling their products as third-party tested, only about 13% submit samples for at least 90% of their products.⁵ You need to see a Certificate of Analysis (COA) to confirm that you're using CBD tinctures, softgels, topicals, and gummies that are as potent as claimed and have also been tested for heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, mold, and bacterial contamination. 

Family Life: How to Incorporate CBD Into Your Daily Routine  

The versatility of hemp flower extract makes it easy for manufacturers to create an impressive assortment of enticing products. As a parent interested in trying CBD to feel more calm, relaxed, and engaged, it's best to consider how various product types align with your lifestyle. Here's what using CBD for optimal focus and engagement throughout the day might look like. 

Starting Your Day with a CBD Tincture 

The key to making CBD part of your mindfulness journey is consistency. You might want to consider starting your day with a CBD oil tincture. It's something you can use several ways – stirred into your morning coffee or breakfast smoothie, for example. For a fuss-free cannabinoid delivery, simply hold a serving of your tincture beneath your tongue for 45-60 seconds, then swallow.   

Keeping the Effects Going Strong Mid-Day  

Although individual results can vary based on factors like age, body composition, and metabolism, most CBD users find that the effects of their morning CBD serving last 6-8 hours. To help keep your new-found focus going strong, you might want to consider adding a second serving mid-day – something portable like CBD gummies or softgels will do nicely. Their effects usually peak in about an hour or so. 

Incorporating CBD into Your Nightly Routine  

To help get the deep restorative sleep you need to wake up feeling refreshed and invigorated, try adding a third serving of CBD into your nightly routine. If discomfort after physical activity keeps you awake, consider pairing your favorite CBD oil tincture, capsule, or gummies with a CBD topical for targeted relief. They work best applied liberally to clean, dry skin.   

Safety & Side Effects: What to Know Before Using CBD for the First Time  

Although CBD is generally well tolerated and safe for most adults, side effects are possible. Some CBD users report unexpected fatigue, dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, and appetite changes.⁶ In most cases, their unpleasant symptoms resolve with smaller serving sizes – which brings us to the next point. 

You may want to consider disregarding the serving size suggestions printed on product labels – at least at first. You could need less. You might need more. Everyone is different. That's why most experts recommend starting with a partial serving. If you don't get the impact you're hoping for, increase your serving sizes gradually in small increments. Taking more CBD than you need to feel present and engaged isn't harmful but does increase the cost of daily use unnecessarily. 

Could CBD Help You Stay Present and Engaged with Your Family? 

Living your life mindfully enhances your capacity to form a deeper connection with those around you. If day-to-day stress, racing thoughts, or sleeplessness are keeping you from staying fully present and engaged with your family, try adding CBD to your daily routine. Most of our survey respondents report impressive results within 7-14 days of consistent use. 

CBDistillery® CBD products are made with hemp flower extract and 100% clean ingredients. They're also rigorously tested, quality-assured, and backed by our 60-day satisfaction guarantee. Our product labels have a QR code linked to a downloadable Certificate of Analysis. If you're interested in trying CBD but not quite sure where to begin, consider scheduling a personal consultation. 

If you have a medical condition or take medication, consult your healthcare provider before using cannabis products. 

References  

1. Elsaid S, Foll B. (2020) The Complexity of Pharmacology of Cannabidiol (CBD) and Its Implications in the Treatment of Brain Disorders. 45 Neuropsychopharmacol 229-30 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0518-1 

2. Sallaberry C, Astern L. (2018) The Endocannabinoid System, Our Universal Regulator. 34(6) JYI 48-55. https://www.jyi.org/2018-june/2018/6/1/the-endocannabinoid-system-our-universal-regulator 

3. Bergland C. (2023) What Is Homeostasis? Very Well Health. 

4. Suni, E. How Lack of Sleep Impacts Performance and Focus. Sleep Foundation. 

5. Harrington A. (2021) 25% of CBD Products Are Not Tested for Purity. Forbes. 

6. Bergamaschi M, Queiroz R, et al. (2011) Safety and Side Effect of Cannabidiol, a Cannabis Sativa Constituent. 6(4) Curr Drug Saf 237-49. https://doi.org/10.2174/157488611798280924