New Year’s Resolutions We Can Keep With The Help Of Cannabis 

By: Sarah Schwefel 

With a New Year often comes resolutions we make to have a better year than the one before. The most popular New Year’s resolutions involve exercising, learning a new skill, or getting organized; all of which are about finding better balance in our lives. Cannabis offers us support in a wide range of areas, including helping us maintain our goals and helping us to craft a better future for ourselves. This year instead of making giant goals for ourselves we may not be able to achieve, let’s focus on the small things we can do, with the help of cannabis, to slow down and bring the peace and balance we all crave. Let’s dive into a few things you can do to have a great 2023! 

Journaling With Cannabis

Journaling can be extremely beneficial for our mental health. Journaling is simply writing down thoughts, happenings, or ideas on a regular basis. It can help reduce stress and anxiety, strengthen memory, evoke mindfulness, and help us to gain perspective while remaining present. Journaling doesn’t have to be complicated or even take up too much time. Take ten minutes and write down your thoughts, things you’re excited or grateful for, or emotions you have been holding in. When journaling, cannabis can be a great ally as it helps to calm the mind while simultaneously promoting mental focus.

A strain with limonene, pinene, or caryophyllene can help guide you through your thoughts while journaling. 

Unwinding With Cannabis 

A great day starts with a good night’s rest. However, the majority of adults in the United States (70%) report having insufficient sleep. This can be from an array of factors, such as busy schedules, stress, or sleep disorders. A lack of sleep can lead to memory loss, confusion, and fatigue. However, long-term it can have dire consequences including being more susceptible to cardiovascular events, such as a heart attack or stroke. This year let’s take time to make sure we are getting the rest our body needs. Cannabis can be a great bedtime companion to ensure you wake up feeling refreshed. When using cannabis for sleep it is important to pay attention to the cannabinoids in the product. High doses of THC are known to interfere with the REM sleeping cycle; though lower doses have been found to increase total sleep time and help people fall asleep faster. Additionally, a strain with high amounts of CBD has also been found to prolong sleep time and decrease the frequency of sleep disturbances throughout the night. 

A strain with low THC and high CBD, along with sedating terpenes such as linalool and myrcene, are great to reach for when unwinding after a long day and getting ready for bed. 

Finding A New Hobby With Cannabis 

In 2023 let’s find something that brings us joy and sparks our creativity. As we become adults, oftentimes we lose our creative spark and hobbies we valued so much as kids. Whether we physically can not do them anymore, or simply don’t have time, there’s that piece of us that is no longer there. This year we are bringing it back though. I want you to think of something that brings you joy and makes you smile. It may be art, coloring, card games, collecting plants or trinkets, cooking, model trains, dolls, or anything else you can think of. Everyone’s hobby will look different and that’s okay, as long as it makes you happy. Having a chronic illness that comes with chronic pain, it can be difficult to think of new hobbies, as many I used to do I can no longer. However, taking time to think of something I can do, like water my plants and watch them grow, play weekly card games with my family, or cook with my family when I can, brings me joy. Joy that I need and everyone else in this world needs. We all deserve to find something we can do that makes us smile and in 2023, let’s make it our goal to find that for ourselves once again! Cannabis is a great addition to your hobby to help spark your creativity and passion, as well as be present in the moment. Research has found that cannabis boosts your joviality, which helps you to perceive ideas as more creative. It also helps to slow the perception of time, allowing you to truly engulf yourself in what’s in front of you. 

A strain with limonene, linalool, or pinene can help get your creative juices flowing. 

With a New Year comes another year of endless possibilities, memories to be made, and laughter and love to be had. Instead of focusing on drastic changes, make small achievable goals that will help you have a happy 2023.

Happy New Year!