Winter is literally coming.
Keep an eye on your body’s time clock because Mother Nature won’t be doing it for you. Unless you’re in Yukon, every other North American province and state or European country will still practice daylight savings. As daylight savings and the cold winter months try their best to tire you out, we must ensure our self-care routine is on point and working in our favour. The most challenging part with the days getting shorter is not letting the sun be your only guide to reflect your energy and productivity levels. Here’s our cannabis-friendly guide to battling winter blues to keep your spirits lifted to avoid burnout or body crash.
1. Limonene and Pinene Terpenes
Look for a Sativa or hybrid strain with a limonene or pinene terpene profile. These are the ones with citrus or earthy smells. All of which can be pretty uplifting. Terpene profiles define the effects of cannabis; citrus terpenes raise your serotonin, giving you happy vibes (talk about a high). Earthy scents are uplifting, have anti-inflammatory effects, and can enhance focus and mental energy, making them a great option to re-energize your body.
2. High CBD
Look for weed strains with a higher CBD content would be a better option to regulate energy. CBD focuses on the body. With the winter months feeling more exhausting than any other time of the year, ensuring your body is regulated and taken care of throughout the day is incredibly important to avoid body crashes. Following up with a higher THC strain later in the evening can be great for inducing sleeping. Otherwise, sleep vitamins such as melatonin could be helpful.
3. Citrus Essential oils
Incorporating citrus-based essential oils is necessary if your new office is working from home or anywhere indoors. With its uplifting properties, citrus essential oils in a diffuser are a great way to bring out those motivational stimulants. My favourites are grapefruit and clementine. Another way
4. Himalayan Salt lamps
Himalayan salt lamps have a mythical reputation with their claims to air cleaning properties, but this isn’t what we want to rave about. Salt lamps are an excellent diffuser alternative. You can always use your essential oils directly on the lamps. It also gives off a warm light that emulates the sun setting or rising (your pick). During colder months, I keep this lamp on instead of using white lights; I find that white lights disturb my physical time clock. If you plan to utilize this lamp, I recommend using a lighter-hued lamp that gives off a brighter light where you can still work but not be overwhelming.
5. Exercise
Working out is not my favourite thing, but it’s the most important besides staying hydrated and eating healthy. Getting into a body rut is what would throw off your body time clock. Maintain the right balance of a workout routine that’s not too intense but still gets your heart beating. Don’t forget about your recovery; I’ve experienced fitness burnouts, where my body doesn’t recover as quickly as it would in warmer climates.
This is where you can experiment with micro-dosing cannabis into your fitness routine. Starting low and going slow is the recipe for success in finding the right balance to accent your workout routine. Whether your goals are to enhance your focus, ritual, or recovery, micro-dosing is a great way to learn how cannabis can alleviate pain and provide motivation. Besides the physical consumption of cannabis, another excellent remedy for pain relief is CBD topicals if you’re not concerned about getting high before, during, or after a workout.
With holiday festivities around the corner, these can be very trying times, especially with the limiting possibilities we have in our current world. Virtual dinner get-togethers can be just as exhausting and sometimes lonely. Our cannabis guide to battling the winter blues is a solid 420-friendly self-care routine that’s uplifting and fun.
Let us know your self-care routine for the winter season in the comments!