Too much multitasking in your daily life? If you struggle with focus and concentration and are looking for a natural product to help, CBD may be able to help. In this article, we’ll take a close look at CBD, some of the different CBD products available, and how they could help support focus and concentration.
What Is CBD?
Before diving into how CBD can help you concentrate and support your brain function, it’s essential to understand what CBD is. Short for cannabidiol, CBD is a natural compound found in hemp plants.
Although over 100 cannabinoid compounds are found in hemp, CBD is the most plentiful of these compounds. Another cannabinoid compound is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. Only a tiny amount of THC is found in hemp plants, and CBD and THC affect different receptors in the brain.
CBD does not have psychoactive properties and therefore does not induce a “high” in users. THC, on the other hand, can cause a temporary “high” in both your body and mind due to the psychoactive properties of the cannabinoid.
How Does CBD Work?
Cannabidiol can help support your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is connected to both your central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).
Your endocannabinoid system (ECS) also plays a vital role in maintaining your physical and mental health. The ECS regulates bodily functions such as memory, stress, sleep, mood, and appetite.
Cannabinoids act similarly to endocannabinoids, natural molecules that your body produces. Because cannabinoids mimic the effects of these naturally-occurring molecules in our bodies, they have the ability to affect our ECS.
How Can I Consume CBD?
There are several different ways to consume cannabidiol or CBD. Depending on the effect you’re looking for, you can consume CBD as flavored gummies, oil from a tincture or dropper, roll-on product, or smoke raw hemp flower.
You can also buy topicals, creams, and other products infused with pure CBD. It’s important to know that a wide variety of CBD products are available so you can find the best product that helps fit your needs.
What Are the Main Causes of Poor Focus and Concentration?
Now that we’ve covered the basics of CBD and how it works, let’s dive into some of the most common causes behind your struggle with focus or concentration.
Stress and the Lack of Sleep
The two most common reasons people struggle with concentration are a lack of sleep and excess stress. Unfortunately, it’s common to experience these symptoms simultaneously because poor sleep can trigger the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, in your body.
Stress can also decrease the quality of your sleep or keep you up at night, affecting your energy levels overall. As a result, the two are highly correlated.
Severe Discomfort
You may also struggle with poor concentration if you’ve recently experienced severe discomfort or are recovering from an injury. Anything from migraines to swelling can impact your ability to concentrate.
Instead of focusing on the task, your brain is distracted by the discomfort you’re experiencing. For this reason, finding healthy, sustainable ways to manage it can enhance your ability to focus.
Poor Nutrition
Another cause of poor focus and an inability to concentrate is poor nutrition. When you eat foods that are not nutritious or skip meals altogether, you are depriving your body of the nutrients it needs to function correctly. If you don’t give your body good fuel, you may notice it becoming harder and harder to focus.
Hydration is another crucial part of proper nutrition that people often forget about. Your brain needs water to function, so when you are dehydrated, you might find that your ability to concentrate decreases.
How Can Taking CBD Affect My Focus and Concentration?
So, how exactly can CBD help you focus and concentrate better? You might assume that cannabidiol instantly makes your mind sharper, but it could help your concentration by addressing some of the causes behind a lack of focus in the first place.
Support Sleep Quality and Help With Stress
Getting enough good sleep every night is one of the best ways to ensure you’re awake and ready to focus and seize the day.
When you’re asleep, your brain undergoes a much-needed recuperation process. Without good quality or quantity of sleep, your brain won’t have time to revive itself for the next day.
CBD gummies, CBD oil, and other forms can act as temporary sleep aids. By calming the central nervous system, CBD may help calm restless thoughts and prepare you for a night of deep sleep. Getting restful sleep with the help of CBD, you may wake up feeling refreshed and ready to concentrate on all the essential things you need to do.
Temporary Relief for Discomfort
One of the most common reasons people use CBD products is to help relieve feelings of discomfort. If you’re getting distracted by discomfort, cannabidiol in the form of topical salves and roll-ons can help offer temporary relief so you can refocus.
Boost Mood
Another way CBD can benefit your focus and concentration is by boosting your mood. If you struggle with feelings of restlessness, you may feel overwhelmed and a lack of motivation, making it hard to focus.
CBD might be able to help because of the way it supports the ECS’s role in balancing mood. As the ECS naturally works to support feelings of emotional balance, concentration can benefit, too, as clarity can emerge from supported mood.
Are There Any Side Effects of Taking CBD?
CBD is generally safe for human consumption and can have several positive effects when used correctly. Negative side effects are very uncommon, and usually have to do with the ingestion of oil versus the ingestion of the CBD itself.
Some people may feel nausea or stomach upset if they take oil tinctures, but otherwise, there are no common side effects associated with taking CBD.
That said, CBD may interact with some medications that are metabolized by the same pathway as CBD, so if you’re considering adding an ingestible CBD supplement like gummies or a tincture to your daily routine, consult your doctor first.
The Takeaway
At Chronic, our CBD products are perfect for helping cut out the small distractions and focus on living every moment to the fullest. Supporting focus and concentration are only some of the many possible health benefits of CBD.
Taking CBD could help support mental clarity and promote focus. By helping support the quality of your sleep, balance feelings of stress, manage feelings of tension and discomfort, and support emotional wellness and mood, CBD may be able to help support your cognitive function...
If you’re interested in trying CBD to help you get quality sleep or help support your attention span, there are several different ways you can incorporate CBD into your daily routine.
You can chew CBD gummies or consume pure CBD by using a dropper to add it to your morning coffee or apply it straight under your tongue. Regardless of how you want to incorporate CBD, it could positively affect your focus, concentration, and overall health.
Sources:
The Effect of Psychosocial Stress on Sleep: A Review of Polysomnographic Evidence | PMC