The times have been a’ changing, and change can often come with a high amount of stress. It helps to keep calm and stay cool—and one of the many benefits of cannabis is its ability to help with that. Trying to figure out where to start with your cannabis de-stress journey? Here’s how to keep cool in high-stress situations.
The Best Ways to Reduce Stress With Cannabis
Work can be a source of chronic stress, so it’s important to keep yourself mentally and physically healthy. While the best ways to reduce stress (more time off, higher pay) might not be available due to outside forces, there are changes to your lifestyle and environment that you can do to manage everyday stress:
- Get a stress ball. Keep one in plain sight so that you’re constantly reminded to use it. Getting a novelty stress ball that’s shaped like a comically large blunt, a cartoon animal, or your favorite celebrity will also lift your spirit.
- Mindful eating. Pay attention to the food you’re putting in your body and consciously enjoy it so it feels like a real break, instead of doomscrolling on your phone without tasting your meal.
- Self-compassion. When you mess up at work or make a mistake, forgive yourself and take the steps you need to avoid doing it again. Once the issue is fixed, resolve to not think about it any further. Easier said than done, but with enough practice, you’ll master this technique.
- End the day with something relaxing. When you get home from work, kick back and enjoy a pre-roll, or pop one of your favorite cannabis edibles.
Where Do I Start With Cannabis, Breathing, and Meditation for Self-Care?
When your pulse starts racing and you start seeing red, there’s a good method to stop your stress reaction in its tracks: deep breathing exercises. Try these:
- New to breathwork? Start by counting the length of your inhale, then counting the length of your exhale as you breathe out. Try and make your out-breath last longer. Over time, you can increase the length of both breaths for more stress-busting benefits.
- Box breaths. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, and breathe out for 4 seconds. Wait 4 seconds to take your inhale. “It is something you can do anywhere—and at any time…” says former Navy SEAL Mark Divine. “When I perform box breathing, even just for five minutes, I am left with a deeply calm body and an alert, focused state of mind.”
- The Wim Hof breathing method. This technique was invented by “The Iceman” Wim Hof, a Dutch breathwork practitioner, who claims that it can increase human strength to possibly superhuman levels and increase tolerance to extreme cold and heat. Start by taking 30 quick, deep breaths in, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through your mouth. After that, take a deep breath, exhale, and wait to inhale for as long as you can. When you do breathe in, take the deepest inhale you can manage, and hold it in for 10 seconds. Repeat this as long as you’d like to.
How to Reduce Stress? Have a Cannabis Adventure
The key to a relaxing weekend is to do something that’s different from your day-to-day work routine. This weekend, have a cannabis adventure to remember. There are plenty of easy hiking trails here in Orange County, and here are some of our favorites:
- Crystal Cove State Park. With a variety of trails providing everything from gentle slopes to a Big Fucking Incline (the name of one of the most popular routes), this is the best place to take hikers of all levels. The ocean views don’t hurt, either. Pop an edible and get going!
- Peters Canyon Regional Park. Vibe out with beautiful birds, deer, and even the occasional coyote. This is a great place to experience Orange County’s natural beauty.
- Top of the World. When it comes to Laguna Beach hiking trails, this one’s at, well, the top of the list. Get high before you go high for an even better time. Bonus: this trail is dog-friendly!
There’s also yoga in the park, which is a great way to get some soothing exercise in while you enjoy the sunny Southern California weather. Relaxing CBD and THC can help open up your muscles. Try out a mixture of static and dynamic stretches yourself, or join a local Orange County yoga studio’s outdoor classes.
You can also take this weekend to explore a new city. We’ve written a few of our own Orange County travel guides before—take an opportunity to explore some of the OC’s little-known cities and landmarks. Try something new!
No Stress: People’s Makes It Easy to Buy Cannabis in Orange County
Don’t be intimidated by the cannabis shopping process. Here at People’s, we make it easy with our simple online ordering system. Get your weed delivered right to your door for free, or place an Express Pickup order so you can skip the line at our Santa Ana store.
Not sure what you’re looking for, or have questions? Our friendly cannabis Guides are always available and happy to help. We’re open every day from 8 AM to 10 PM, so pop by on your time schedule and we’ll help you out with all of your cannabis needs. People’s is here to take the stress out of buying weed in Orange County.
