There’s nothing wrong with striving to be the best version of yourself; wanting to be better than your competition; working to surpass your own expectations and goals; or not being satisfied with what’s “good enough.” This is how I’ve spent most of my life and I can confidently say I’ve managed to attain a high degree of success in a lot of things I’ve set out to do.
Before your eyes glaze over and without divulging into my whole life story, most of my upbringing involved working as hard as I could each day to ultimately become a professional tennis player. I started playing tennis at six; began competing in tournaments at nine; and started homeschooling as a freshman in high school so I could practice 6-8 hours a day and have the flexibility to play week-long tournaments abroad.
I moved to Florida at 14 for about a year and half where I experienced my most intense training with some of the best players from around the world. From there I continued to compete in countless tournaments, eventually professional ones, and ultimately decided to play in college instead of becoming a full-time professional tennis player.
I went from being homeschooled and focusing almost all my attention on tennis, to attending Columbia University in New York City and playing D1 tennis at an Ivy League school. Post-grad I experienced life as a go-getter millennial in The Big Apple. From news production to finance and several industries in between, I struggled to find a fulfilling career path despite working for major companies such as Merrill Lynch Bank of America and Fox Business.
Obviously this all changed and I eventually became the freelance food and travel journalist, blogger and content creator I am now. But I’ll save that journey for another post!
Anyway. This is all to say that while my constant hard work and relentless drive did pay off, it also manifested itself in different ways that I didn’t really understand until later in life. One of those ways was a whole lot of anxiety stemming from personal insecurities and the everyday uncertainties of life, which are magnified when you’ve been so programmed to base success on milestone achievements you can put on your life resume, so to speak.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older”. While anxiety issues are very treatable, only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.
I’m not going to sit here and say don’t go to therapy or get treatment if you need it; because I’ll be the first to say you probably know yourself best. Don’t let stigmatisms involving getting help stop you. At least in NYC, I felt like it was more “normal” to have a therapist than not.
But if you are looking for something to try that’s super non-committal, yet proven to be effective, CBD may be just the game-changer you need. There’s a lot of wellness mumbo jumbo jargon right now surrounding CBD. CBD gummies, massages, lotions… it’s like CBD all the sudden became this cure-all product infused in everything. But at least for me, speaking from experience, CBD has truly been effective in helping me maintain a level of groundedness and calm throughout my day.
CBD is the non-psychoactive portion of the cannabis plant, so unlike with marijuana, you’re not going to feel “high” after using products that have CBD in it. The line of CBD products that I recommend is REBORN, a natural and safe broad-spectrum hemp extract oil that’s derived from U.S. grown plants specifically bred and farmed to produce inimitable, high-quality CBD products.
REBORN prides itself on being as pure as possible and so uses no fillers whatsoever. Moreover, there are zero traces of pesticides, metals, or harmful microorganisms. So what you get is a 100% cannabidiol product, minus the psychoactive effect of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.
Incorporating CBD products into my active lifestyle has been a major change I’ve made this year. I’m not huge into wellness trends by any means, but adding CBD oils along with a balm and massage oil into my own version of a wellness routine, has helped me manage my stress and anxiety, along with helping my body recover better after workouts.
I use a couple of drops of the REBORN CBD Oil, an all-natural and broad-spectrum CBD hemp extract emulsified in coconut oil, on the mornings that I start to feel overwhelmed before I dive into my day’s work. I don’t experience any type of head change, but what I have come to notice is that my mind settles and the tightness I tend to feel around my neck and shoulders loosens up.
Feeling more at ease helps with my breathing and puts me in the right frame of mind to produce my best work. And at night I use three drops of the Peppermint CBD Oil (I like to stay minty fresh) if I’m having trouble falling asleep.
After tough workouts, I’ve thankfully gotten into the habit of using the REBORN Repair & Relief Muscle Relief Balm. Similar to Tiger Balm, it’s a super soothing pepperminty balm that honestly feels great when rubbed into worn-down muscles. It’s helped my body feel less sore in the days following an intense workout which in turn helps me keep up my workout schedule.
For the ultimate relaxer, a massage with the REBORN Rejuvenate & Restore Massage Oil is the absolute best! First off, with almond, mandarin, grapefruit, lime and more, it smells amazing. Secondly, the oil heats up as it’s rubbed into your skin leaving it super supple. Thirdly, it’s no surprise that muscles feel super relaxed and loose after a massage. But what is surprising is how much better they continue to feel in the following days when the oil is used to enhance the entire experience.
And honestly, that’s my opinion on all of these CBD products in a nutshell. They enhance how I feel mentally and physically so that I can perform the best I can whether that be in tennis, writing or simply living my best life.
Have you tried CBD products before? How did you feel when using them? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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Though I received these products from REBORN all of my statements and opinions are, as always, authentically my own.
Chelsea is a San Francisco-based journalist whose passion revolves around exploring the world, immersing herself in foreign cultures, and of course, eating and drinking everything delicious.
Her work can be found in TravelPulse, Forbes, INSIDER, SF Gate and more. She covers all things food, drink and travel and is always up for an adventure, whether that means an adrenaline-pumping excursion or trying a new cuisine.