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|personal story

I Started A New Job & This Supplement Was Key To Easing My Stress*

Author:

Braelyn Wood

March 24, 2022

mbg Deputy Commerce Editor

By Braelyn Wood

mbg Deputy Commerce Editor

Braelyn Wood is the Deputy Commerce Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University, along with a certificate in marketing.

Young woman working on laptop on the desk at her home

Image by ZHPH Production / Stocksy

March 24, 2022

Starting a new job is stressful. There's a desire to validate your worth, bond with co-workers, and impress the new boss—and that's all before you join the team chat. So when I started a new role at mindbodygreen a few weeks ago, I knew that nervous energy and subpar sleep would come with the territory. What I didn't realize? It would also come with an introduction to a product that could help ease my stress during this temporary period of uncertainty: mindbodygreen's calm+.*

Why I started taking calm+.

Initially, I relied on routine to calm my new-job nerves. I took a walk in the park, made a nutritious breakfast, and brainstormed an action plan for the day. But when my first-day jitters intensified overnight, I knew that extra prep alone couldn't totally relax me. I needed help with easing my stress and evoking calm for my second day on the job.

That's when I decided to break into my sealed amber glass bottle of calm+. The supplement was gifted to me ahead of my start date, along with a container of mindbodygreen's organic veggies+. However, my week off between jobs was so chill and relaxed that I hadn't given the bottle a second thought. Now it was the only thing I could think about, and I started the morning by taking the recommended one-gelcap dose.

As I logged on for work, I was still dealing with nervous energy and was pretty darn skeptical—but then an hour or so passed. I suddenly realized there was a sense of peacefulness and focus that I hadn't felt before.* Even after accidentally logging out of a video conference for the second time that day, I felt more balanced, relaxed, and Zen.*

As new challenges presented themselves to me throughout the day, I kept waiting to feel overwhelmed. Instead, the supplement was supporting my stress management and a positive mood, transforming my workday into a surprisingly relaxed experience.*

How calm+ works.

While my friendly (and patient) co-workers played a role in my not-so-stressful onboarding, a quick chat with mindbodygreen's science team validated my positive experience with calm+. It all comes down to ingredients.

The key ingredient is EU- and USDA-certified organic, full-spectrum European hemp oil, which contains a variety of bioactives such as phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Beyond being a mouthful to pronounce, these compounds help modulate stress response and promote calm through the endocannabinoid system or ECS.*

Although the health of your ECS is rarely top of mind—at least, not for me—it plays an important function in your body. The communication network is responsible for homeostasis, otherwise known as your body's balanced mode, with day-to-day variability, of course. By nurturing this system, calm+ supports an array of vital functions of the mind and body, including easing everyday stress and fostering a positive mood.*

As if that wasn't enough, the supplement also packs 240 milligrams of Shoden® ashwagandha. While it's easy to be skeptical of many ingredients, the botanical has clinical evidence supporting its ability to reduce cortisol and DHEA-S 1 at that very dose.* We love science!

Plus, it's paired with Bulgarian lavender oil. While I've felt the calming effect of lavender, I was actually fascinated by the extensive science behind it.* The flower contains high levels of linalool, an aromatic compound that elicits calm.* But just because there's aroma in the name doesn't mean you have to smell the ingredient to reap the reward: A 2020 study 2 found that consuming an oral version of lavender is a better long-term approach for supporting relaxation than smelling it.* Good news for someone who has consumed calm+ daily for the last nearly two weeks.

The only downside.

Although calm+ is GMO-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, the gelcap is made with bovine gelatin. As a vegetarian, I would typically skip products with gelatin. However, calm+'s ability to promote relaxation outweighed the con in the chaos of starting a new role.*

As the trepidation about my new role starts to fade away, I do plan to adjust how I take the supplement. Similar to my co-worker, vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, I hope to use calm+ as a tool in my arsenal for promoting calm and relaxation, especially in stressful situations.*

The bottom line.

The first couple of weeks in a new job can be packed with stress, worry, and short bouts of anxiousness. Luckily, the calm+ supplement is an editor-approved way to evoke calm, combat everyday stress, and keep you focused—and it should really be a top option for any go-getters starting a new position.*

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medications, consult with your doctor before starting a supplement routine. It is always optimal to consult with a health care provider when considering what supplements are right for you.