At Muddy Boot Botanicals, we strive to provide quality CBD (cannabidiol) products that are effective and affordable to refresh you after a day of hard work. However, CBD products don’t just have to be used after marching through the mud and getting your hands dirty. They can also be used to promote focus and creativity. The question is, what is CBD’s effect on focus and creativity?
What Is Focus and Creativity?
First off, we need to find out what focus and creativity are so we can tell how CBD products affect them. Merriam-Webster’s definitions of focus and creativity are:
- Focus (verb): to concentrate attention or effort; to cause to be concentrated.
- Creativity (noun): the ability to create; the quality of being creative.
- Creative (adjective): marked by the ability or power to create; having the quality of something created rather than imitated.
As for why you would want to maintain focus or increase creativity is quite apparent. When maintaining focus, whether it be for your job or for a hobby you are passionate about, it would be better to stay concentrated during the task so that you get the most out of your work. For a job, you would be able to complete your work efficiently, while with a hobby it would allow you to enjoy more of what you do.
But what happens when focus and creativity come together?
You become more creative by having no distractions and can concentrate better on your creative pursuit. When you are in this state, you are in a “flow state,” also known as “creative flow.” To go into more detail, this creative flow is when you have multiple chemicals flowing to your brain such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins.
Now that we know what focus and creativity are and how they can work in tandem, how can the use of CBD products affect them directly and indirectly in a positive way?
CBD’s Effect: Increased Dopamine
One of CBD’s main effects on the brain is the increase in dopamine levels. Dopamine is a chemical made by the brain that has many effects on the body, one of which is contributing to alertness, focus, motivation, and happiness. However, research shows that how much dopamine is produced because of CBD is dependent on genetic factors. Regardless, it will increase dopamine generation nonetheless. There are also two types of dopamine that are affected by CBD, which Erik B. Oleson and Joseph F. Cheer go into further. They talk about two types of dopamine: tonic dopamine and phasic dopamine:
- Tonic Dopamine: A steady amount of dopamine over a period of time
- Phasic Dopamine: A large amount of dopamine over a shorter period of time than tonic dopamine.
Chewing with Purpose
One of the forms CBD products take are edibles, which are taken by chewing and eventually swallowing the product. The act of chewing has been shown to increase concentration. In a study conducted by Andrew P. Allen and Andrew P. Smith, chewing gum showed various effects of cognitive performance. In particular, their conclusion to their test results were:
“Chewing gum was associated with enhanced productivity and reduced cognitive errors at work, as well as heightened cortisol in the morning. However, rate of chewing, flavor, or cognitive performance did not moderate the enhancement of alertness and changes in sustained attention by chewing gum, suggesting that greater motor activity does not exaggerate these effects.”
CBD’s Effect: Pain Relief
It’s hard to focus with back pains or an aching body. CBD products can alleviate this pain, increasing your focus. In a separate research group, several researchers including Jan M. Schilling, Chloe G. Hughes, and Tobias Moeller-Bertram, wanted to record not only the actual effects of CBD on the subjects but also the subjects own perception and opinions on the use of CBD products.
Out of the 253 participants involved in the experiment, about 60% of them have previously tried CBD products. The conclusion of this experiment ultimately showed that the overall perception of CBD products was positive, and that there was an overall reduction in pain thanks to their use. With less physical pain hindering you, you can better focus on the task at hand.
CBD’s Effect: Sleeping Soundly
Finally, one of the benefits of CBD products is that they can help induce sleep. Cannabidiol has an effect on the endocannabinoid system, which is a cell system that dictates a lot of our body’s functions such as sleep, mood, and appetite. In an article from the American Sleep Association, they go over this interaction of chemicals and our bodies.
If you have trouble sleeping, your creativity will suffer as a result. Having a good night’s sleep or a power nap has lots of effects on your creative thinking. Our sleep is broken up into different stages, and reaching the final stage of this cycle is a great contribution to staying creative, as well as helping with things such as:
- Pattern Recognition
- Accessing and Applying Information
- Calmer Emotions
Some methods you can try to improve the overall quality of your sleep can include:
- Having a regular sleep routine
- Avoiding heavy meals
- Staying in a dark and cool environment
As described above, CBD products can help you go to sleep because of their interactions with the endocannabinoid system.
Time to Focus Up and Get Creative!
Whether for focus during your work, brainstorming your next project, or treating yourself to some good self-care for you or a loved one, take a look at our ShopShop for various CBD products ranging from edibles to topicals!
