CBD may help ease anxiety and support a calmer mood. Many people use CBD to reduce daily stress, slow fast thoughts, and feel steadier during tense moments. The effects can vary from person to person, but CBD shows promise as a simple option for people who want gentle support without strong side effects. This guide explains the benefits, the risks, and the best ways to use CBD for anxiety so you can make clear and informed choices.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is the umbrella term for feelings of dread, fear, and uneasiness. Sometimes these feelings are accompanied with physical symptoms like sweating, restlessness, tension, and rapid heartbeat. Occasional anxiety is a perfectly normal experience; as we mentioned, everyone feels it every now and then. Viewed one way, anxiety is similar to the fight or flight response, the brain’s way of reacting to stress and even alerting you to a potential crisis. 

Anxiety disorders, on the other hand, are more intense. Classified as mental illnesses, anxiety disorders cause constant and overwhelming anxiety, which often leads to avoiding work, school, and situations that might induce or intensify these feelings. Some examples of common anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (excessive, unrealistic anxiety with or no little reason), panic disorder (intense fear that brings on a panic attack), and social anxiety disorder (overwhelming worry about everyday social interactions). 

The main symptom of anxiety is excessive fear or worries, but other common symptoms include:

• Feelings of panic or doom
• Sleep problems
• Cold, sweaty, tingling hands or feet
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Inability to concentrate
• Excessive rumination

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What is CBD?

CBD is a natural compound found in the hemp plant. It does not cause a high and does not change how you think. CBD interacts with receptors in the body that help regulate mood, stress, and balance. Many people use CBD to support calm, improve focus, and ease tension during the day. CBD is available in oils, gummies, and topicals, which makes it simple to add to a daily routine.

How to Deal With Anxiety

As with any serious medical condition, we urge you to consult your doctor first and foremost if you’re experiencing the symptoms of anxiety disorders. Doctors can prescribe medical treatments for anxiety disorders, often antidepressants or counseling, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. But when it comes to the more garden variety anxiety that most of us feel in our daily lives, there are definitely some fairly simple ways you can combat anxiety.

Some ways to cope with everyday anxiety include:

• Engaging in physical activity, as simple as going for a walk or stretching
• Prioritizing sleep and optimizing your sleep schedule
• Eating healthy, nutritious foods
• Talking to a therapist and learning more about your triggers
• Exploring relaxation techniques as meditation, massage, or breathing exercises
• Avoiding alcohol
• Journaling
• Spending time with friends and family

CBD for Anxiety: Can It Help?

That brings us to the subject of CBD for anxiety. The FDA has not yet approved any over-the-counter medications that include CBD that specifically target anxiety, but a great deal of research is pointing toward CBD’s ability to potentially provide relief in this arena. 

According to a study published in Neurotherapeutics, existing preclinical evidence strongly supports the potential of CBD as a treatment for anxiety disorders. Another study that took a look at CBD for anxiety and sleep concluded that CBD may hold benefit for anxiety-related disorders; in fact, CBD for sleep is often cited as potentially helpful (have you tried our night gummies?) because CBD may be able to help target root causes of poor sleep, such as anxiety. Yet another study, this one published in the peer-reviewed journal Biomolecules, found that preliminary clinical trials support the efficacy of CBD as an anxiolytic (meaning anti-anxiety), antipsychotic, and antidepressant.

There’s plenty of anecdotal support too, including an article in Byrdie by a writer who took CBD oil for anxiety every day and reported how it made her feel: “Rather than overthinking a sternly worded email or analyzing a social interaction, I found it easier to recognize the irrationality of these thoughts and actually let them go.”

Our Top CBD for Anxiety Picks 

Depending on your needs and preferences, we have a few recommendations for CBD for anxiety to help you unwind and relax.

Face daily stresses with: our CBD Oil, which offers on-the-go relief for when you need just the right amount of calm and relaxation. Quick and effective anytime and anywhere, all you have to do is drop a little CBD Oil in your favorite beverage or under your tongue.

Promote calm with: our Anytime CBD Gummies. Similar to our CBD oil except in gummy form, try these to calm your mind and support relaxation. Take it from one of our reviewers: “These gummies give me a perfect controlled calm. I highly recommend!”

Alleviate unwanted tension with: our CBD Relief Roller, designed to help with stress and headaches. Featuring a formula that includes essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus and lemon, our CBD oil roll-on targets areas of pressure and pain in a manner that is easy, discreet, and made from natural ingredients. 
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We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for all the latest research on CBD for anxiety. In the meantime, stay up to date on how CBD can improve sleep, health, and wellness by reading our blog!