Working from home? How CBD can help

Working from home has its perks, but with so many of us ill-equipped, how can we make sure we’re looking after ourselves?

There’s no doubt the Covid-19 pandemic and Government’s orders to stay home have revolutionised the way we work. In fact, there’s talk that the traditional office-based ‘9 to 5’ will be scrapped in favour of a more flexible, home-working approach even when the world returns to some form of normality.

But despite its benefits – more time with family, more comfort and, arguably, much more freedom – working from home isn’t without its downfalls and there are concerns that employers haven’t adapted to support employees.

Research has revealed that almost 40 per cent of people are functioning without any additional, employer-provided equipment such as a laptop or desk chair, and with the majority working without a dedicated home office space, both physical and mental health issues are heightened. Could CBD be the solution?

One of the most common issues found amongst those working from home is back and neck pain, with as many as seven in ten Brits saying they’re currently experiencing more aches and pains than usual. Furthering this, a survey from Eizo found that back strain (28 per cent) and neck strain (27 per cent) featured amongst the top five working from home issues experienced.

Hunching over dining tables and kitchen worktops – or even doing the 9 to 5 from the sofa – in lieu of an actual desk is taking its toll, and with no date set for a safe return to the office, many are turning to CBD to relieve their aching bodies.

Research has shown that CBD helps with back pain by reducing inflammation, as well as improving sleep quality and managing anxiety – both of which are linked with chronic back pain. The analgesic properties of the remedy are thought to come from the interaction between the CBD and the body’s endocannabinoid system, which boots the signalling of anandamide (the body’s mood enhancer.

Products that alleviate these aches come in all shapes and sizes, with most choosing to apply a topical or transdermal product, such as cream or patches, to the area pain is felt most strongly.

When you’re working from home – especially without a dedicated home office or workspace – it can be easy for the lines to blur between work and personal time. If you’re struggling to switch off with no commute to unwind and your laptop in easy reach, CBD could help.

The remedy has been praised for improving sleep quality, with a paper published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology finding that systemic acute administration of CBD can increase total sleep time and sleep latency of administration.

Similarly, a team recently found that long-term cannabis use can reduce stress, which can help massively when it comes to unwinding after a day of working from home. Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse measured the levels of cortisone – the stress hormone – in rats before and after a 30-day period, with those that had access to medium potency cannabis demonstrating significantly muted physiological response.

While further help should be sought if the pressures of working from home become overwhelming, it’s clear that CBD could be an ideal solution to combat the little niggles that many of us are experiencing while away from the office.