It doesn’t matter what state you live in or how old your child is; stress and motherhood will always go hand in hand. Fortunately, CBD can help with mom stress.
It’s 2022 and for decades now, society still expects mothers to get stuck to the ideal of PERFECTLY balancing careers and child-rearing. As a result, the culture of mom stress is getting real.
“Across the four different countries where I conducted interviews, one desire remained constant among mothers. Women want to feel that they are able to combine paid employment and child-rearing in a way that seems equitable and doesn’t disadvantage them at home or at work.”
This is what Sociologist Caitlyn Collins has to say after five years of research on parenthood in four different western countries. The most revealing of her study’s results is that moms living in the U.S have it worse.
Moms find solace in wines and sleeping pills, and lately in CBD.
CBD or cannabidiol is a compound extracted from a Federally legal plant, hemp. Although mainly unconfirmed to be a potent stress-relieving agent, CBD users report having experienced a level of relief from stress and anxiety.
How much of the experience was a placebo? Is there some clinical evidence or truth to CBD helping with mom stress? Let’s find out.
What is “Mom Stress?”
Mom stress consists of many intersecting factors – from having little me-time, shouldering most of the household responsibilities, acting as the point person for important family decisions, poor sleep, and more.
Add to that the stress of having a lack of childcare access, Federally mandated paid parental leave, universal health care – the list goes on.
What Does Coping With Stress Look Like For Moms?
By getting comfortable saying “no.”
Setting healthy boundaries comes in different forms and one good way of setting a boundary is by learning to say no. You don’t want to spread yourself too thin and be left inadequate when it comes to doing other tasks because you’re already spent.
The recent pandemic had understandably blurred the life/work balance but there are ways to reinforce the line once more. For example, perhaps saying no to those after-hour work calls is one way of maintaining the balance.
1. By identifying stressful activities and managing them
Identify tasks that always make you feel stressed out. Then, rework them. For example, if letting some of your kids help out makes the tasks feel less lonely and faster, try it.
It helps to do stressful chores ahead of time. For example, if preparing breakfasts feels like such a hassle in the morning, prepare the meal the night before.
2. Being healthy
Yes, eating a balanced meal, sleeping early, exercising, and even watching ‘mindless T.V.’ are ways of managing stress.
Devote quality time for yourself. Occasionally go out and stimulate your social urges.
2. Attending therapy sessions
If your level of stress interferes with your day-to-day sanity and ability as a mother, maybe it’s time to seek professional treatment already. One way of doing so is via therapy.
Extreme feelings of stress may be an indicator of depression or anxiety and should be taken seriously.
Can CBD Help with “Mom Stress?”
It’s important to understand that CBD isn’t a treatment nor a supplement to help relieve any types of stress or anxiety. However, users and studies alike sing a different tune.
Stress management works by solving multiple facets that come together to ultimately cause stress. For example, anxiety and sleep disturbances contribute deeply to stress. Addressing those could ultimately lull stress.
CBD seems to fit the “stress-relieving agent” narrative snugly because of its studied potential to address multiple symptoms typically associated with stress.
What the studies say
A study from 2015 found CBD to have significantly reduced the symptoms of anxiety and stress-related behaviors. Some of the disorders highlighted in the study (that benefited greatly from CBD) were Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder.
Another study from 2020 detailed how CBD significantly reduced the severity of PTSD.
In New Zealand, 400 CBD users experienced a significant increase in overall quality of health. Relevant to the measurement are improvements in depression, anxiety, and chronic pain symptoms.
A 2019 study examined CBD’s effects on anxiety and sleep. As per the study’s results, CBD significantly reduced levels of anxiety in 80% of the participants. The researchers also discovered that 66% of the participants experienced an improvement in their quality of sleep in the first month.
Consumer reports and statistics
According to Statista’s 2020 survey, taking CBD for anxiety and stress is the second-most leading reason why U.S. adults use CBD.
A 2021 CBD study observed that respondents who use CBD for self-perceived anxiety and stress tend to use CBD multiple times a day but those who take it for sleep only use it at night.
A recent review suggests that CBD’s effects are between 1.4 and 10.9 higher after spraying the product on the tongue. This finding explains why CBD users for anxiety and stress use CBD several times per day. They need to maintain CBD’s lulling effects throughout the day.
Young age groups dominate the CBD user scene. According to Single Care:
- 20% of people ages 18-29 use CBD
- 16% of people ages 30-49 use CBD
- 11% of people ages 50-64 use CBD
- 8% of people age 65 and older use CBD
Takeaway:
That said, CBD does not directly treat stress and not everyone might benefit from the compound. The average survey of women who tried CBD products is moderately satisfied with the effects they have observed.
Some even felt no impact on anxiety or sleep although experts say those who don’t see results probably took the wrong dosage or have stopped entirely before CBD can even exert its ability.
CBD’s effects are different for everyone but if it works well for you, you’re sleeping better, and you’re less irritated, I guess CBD improves mom’s stress after all, at least for some.
“These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”