When was the last time you gave yourself permission to sleep an extra two hours in the morning? What makes you really happy? Do you remember how to play? What is your idea of a vacation? How often do you consciously breathe deeply? Do you know how to put stress and anxiety on a time out? Almost everyone has too much stress in their life. Granted, some degree of stress can serve as a motivator and positively impact your life. But by and large, our minds are too distracted by our over-packed schedules, our environment is filled with too much noise, activity and stimuli, our societies/schools/work places are ultra-competitive, and the messages that scream at us from billboards, social media and magazines suggest that we are NOT ENOUGH. We are not slim, smart, cool, rich, sexy, traveled or cultured enough. We are constantly on call with our computers and phones. And so, the pressure mounts. All of that stress can be overwhelming. The National Institute of Mental Health said that in 2017, 40 million adults in the U.S. were affected by anxiety, millions more had depression-related disorders, and 18% of adults had some form of mental illness.^1.

Stress is a normal component of life. It is needed to trigger our body's "fight or flight" response in order help us react appropriately in emergency situations. Our central nervous system releases the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline to help us deal with "acute threats." But too much stress, over time, can have a detrimental effect on our health, sometimes with serious consequences. If we are in a constant state of stress, our body systems get bathed in elevated cortisol levels which increases our heart rate and breathing, tenses our muscles causing layers of constriction in our fascia, lowers our immune system, makes us prone to colds and illness, and accelerates our aging process. Over time, consistently high levels of stress can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, autoimmune disorders and more.

Our modern era, for all our innovations designed to "make life easier," has heightened our stress load. And today, in 2020, our global community has been taxed with a new and unprecedented challenge: the stress of a global pandemic. At this point in our history, we have been cautioned to avoid gatherings, remain in our "COVID PODS," and avoid touching or being in close contact with people. Our entire way of life has been disrupted, many have lost their source of employment, and millions of people are facing the loss of their home or living space. Life as we once knew it is no more, at least not until effective pandemic strategies, a proven vaccine and more precise therapeutics can help us better manage COVID outbreaks. What we have discovered in all of this is our great need for one another, and the stress of not being able to hug and hold friends and family members is heartbreaking and often overwhelming.

What is alarming is that many people are unaware of the high degree of stress they are under. We tend to minimize and even "normalize" the stress in our lives. A recent study shows that stress is tied to physiological changes, almost every known biological illness, and chances for survival from disease.²  The study examined 150,000 people in 142 countries and determined that when the body produces stress hormones regularly, people's immune, digestive, musculoskeletal and nervous systems are all compromised. And stress can become self-perpetuating. When your body becomes ill or is in pain from stress, that is yet another causative factor of stress. But all is not lost. It is possible to self-monitor and identify when your body is dealing with too much stress. If you discover you are having symptoms such as increased heart rate, high blood pressure, headaches, an appetite for fats and carbs that puts on abdominal fat, an inability to lose weight despite exercising regularly, or tooth and jaw pain from grinding your teeth day or night, you may be over-stressed. Fortunately, we have numerous approaches available to us that can help us manage and mitigate the stress that bombards us.

At Power Flower, we encourage people to explore and integrate holistic approaches to managing wellness into their life and lifestyle. Healing and wholeness are within our reach. So often we simply need to adjust and fine tune our own behaviors, and put our health and wellness first. There is so much we can do, including many of the following: exercising regularly; practicing staying in present moment; eating healthy and well-balanced meals; taking time to play and create; practicing yoga, tai chi, meditation, and mindfulness techniques; breathing deeply; walking at least 10,000 steps daily; living with an attitude of gratitude; incorporating aromatherapy into our home and work spaces; and using CBD oil to help calm our body and mind.

From ancient Indian ayurvedic medicine to our modern-age therapeutic usage, cannabinoid CBD oil has long been used to treat stress and its conditions.  Power Flower has the all-natural, premium, full-spectrum, CBD softgels, gummies, tinctures, capsules, roll-on gels, rubs and skin creams you need to help build a baseline of calm in your body and in your life. Ease your body into relaxation and relief, whether you are applying CBD externally or adding it to your daily food and drink. As CBD builds up in your body over time with faithful and consistent application, it can help you meet the challenge of stressful events without becoming overwhelmed. Power Flower's premium CBD products are specially formulated for purity and potency. Our beneficial health regimens mix easily with your daily life, help manage pain, anxiety, inflammation, nausea, insomnia and any sense of dis-ease, and complement the beneficial, holistic measures you integrate into maintaining a calm and healthy lifestyle.

Put stress on the backburner, in its rightful place of helping you deal with acute, emergency events, and put life and living fully at the forefront of your daily experience. Remember, you are in charge, you have more control over how stress influences or dominates your life than you may realize. Your outlook, your attitude, your activities, your ability to prioritize a healthy balance, and your interest in engaging the knowledge and expertise of partners such as Power Flower who are focused on your general wellbeing will go far in helping you derive maximum enjoyment and productivity out of every day, and successfully deal with any uniquely stressful and challenging events. Make us part of your health and wellness team. It is our reason for being. We are here to serve you.

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NOTES:

[1] https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-anxiety-disorder-among-adults.shtml

[2] "Is the Emotion-Health Connection a 'First-World Problem'?"; Sarah D. Pressman, Matthew W. Gallagher, Shane J. Lopez; February 26, 2013, Association for Psychological Science (APS); https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612457382