Embrace Self Care
I literally can’t stop making post-it notes.
Every few minutes I scan my desk which is covered with 10 or more post-its, trying to figure out where to focus my energy. As I crumple up one post-it, I almost immediately put another post-it note on my desk which often includes five more tasks. My job is hectic, crazy, and I love it. But my to-do list never ends, and an empty inbox is a pipe dream.
Photo by Bart LaRue on Unsplash
My mind is constantly racing, making lists, thinking of deliverables, responding to email conversations in my mind. I’m an obsessive thinker, and my natural tendency is to think about work even as I’m falling asleep.
Needless to say, this is not a very healthy work-life balance.
So when it’s time for me to relax and put work aside, sometimes I need a little chemical assistance. Specifically, I go to the Sativa-dominant Jack Herer, with it’s clear and bliss-like effects, earthy flavours, and smooth delivery via my vaporizer, all while lounging in bed watching Bob’s Burgers or Archer. Cannabis lets me focus on myself and pay attention to the signals my body is giving me, most often “go rest now,” which my overly busy mind often ignores.
As a special treat, sometimes I smoke a joint while walking my dog Socks. I can get lost in a game of catch for hours, enjoying the fresh air and the derpy smile Socks gives me after he drops the ball in front of me. I’m finally able to focus on the moment, on that second, enjoy it, and smile.
There is no right way to focus on self-care, but for me, cannabis has become an aid to help me tune into myself and focus on there here and now.
Medicinal Cannabis as My Self-Care
We don’t give ourselves enough love, we’re often caught up in our problems, challenges, and grocery lists than we are on our own emotional wellbeing. Often times I even focus on others – their happiness and wellbeing – over my own.
While I am often overwhelmed by work and life, these moments of self-care are essential to my productivity as a professional. Time by myself, with or without cannabis reduces my stress levels at work, and are essential to my well-being. Everyone has this idea that hard work pays off, but a little R&R can lead to better work.
It's important that at least once a day we take part in something that we love. If that's Netflixing, cooking, listening to music, all these things can be even more enjoyable and therapeutic with cannabis.
The medicinal industry has done wonders for anyone suffering from chronic pain management, weaned patients off addictive opioids, and given back countless hours of sleep to those suffering from insomnia. For me, it’s therapeutic.
Cannabis takes the edge off of my anxiety, puts my stressors in perceptive, refuels my creativity, and helps me smile and enjoy myself. It’s my medicine and an essential part of self-care.
We’re all busy, ambitious women with lots on the go. Life can be stressful, but don’t let a day go by without smiling, without laughing, without letting out a deep sigh. Your mental wellbeing is an essential component of general health. Cannabis helps me listen to those signals.
If you have a tough time listening to your body’s signals, cannabis can help you too.