We chat to Noélia, a Nordic Oil brand ambassador about how she uses CBD, her experiences with motherhood and her insights to holistic self-care.
As one of the newest members to join the Nordic Oil ambassador family and a mother of two, Noélia Fonseca is skilled in balancing family, work and self-care. Born and raised in Cape Verde, an archipelago island off of the coast of North West Africa, Noélia recently became a Danish citizen and has been living in Denmark for a decade.
We caught up with Noelia about how CBD has helped her to overcome mental health challenges and how CBD continues to play a role in her daily routine.
Take us back to the beginning: where did your CBD journey begin?
At the beginning of my CBD journey, I knew literally nothing about it. I was a bit skeptical at first, I picked up a brochure about CBD oil and a few samples. I was positively surprised that the topic exploded on the internet, so I started to wonder if CBD Oil could help me.
For years, I suffered from depression, anxiety disorder and panic attacks. At the time, I was writing my master thesis which stressed me out even more. I was constantly feeling nervous, worried or uneasy. At that time I was juggling so many things; a full-time internship, being a wife, a mother of two young girls, writing a master thesis and taking care of the house.
For a while, I had medical help from both a psychiatrist and a psychologist. Both medication and therapy have helped me deal with my depression. I am not going to lie that it was an easy process; it was a very tough period of my life. Luckily, I can today say that I have largely overcome my depression and anxiety.
I’m still in the process of training my mind to be more positive, so I try to keep a routine which includes regular meditation and morning yoga exercises. This has been helpful and it helps me focus and relax.
Particularly as a woman, what challenges have you had to overcome? And how has CBD played a role?
I also started to slowly integrate CBD oil into my daily routine. When I first started taking CBD, I didn’t really notice the effects right away. I honestly did not truly start seeing its full benefits until I started consistently taking it for two weeks. Since then, I have gradually noticed improvements in my general well-being; taking CBD oil has enabled me to calm my nerves out as it gives me a more calm feeling of “I got this” and believe it or not that can make a huge difference.
As a woman, I have also used CBD to help ease my period symptoms. I usually get some mild to moderate cramping and even mood swings. Since I started taking CBD, I have noticed that my body is far more balanced and can deal with the hormonal changes a lot better.
Being a mother, taking a few drops of CBD has also helped me calming my nerves, especially on those days when I feel stressed out and don’t want to let my stress symptoms affect the way I interact with my kids.
How do you fit CBD into your daily routine?
I start my day with 5 drops of Immunity Drops with CBD in a glass of sparkling water right before my morning yoga, so I can start the day as relaxed as possible. Afterwards I usually take a shower and use my Body Butter cream with CBD and avocado oil.
During the day I either take the CBD with vitamin C or 2 drops of CBD in a glass of juice or water.
Before going to bed I like to use my Mani Drops which help me sleep better. I also enjoy having a pack of CBD chewing gum on me all day, and I keep my CBD lip balm in my purse.
Often, it depends on my mood, but also upon how my day looks. When i have a busy schedule, I also like to take a few drops of CBD during the day around lunch time.
Taking CBD Oil before going to bed has improved my sleeping patterns tremendously. It makes me have a more restful and less interrupted sleep. I usually take a few drops an hour to 30 minutes before going to bed, in order to give it some time to work into my system. Before I know it, I’m falling asleep on my sofa.
How do you stay positive about yourself, especially in the current situation?
I would say that taking CBD oil has boosted my wellbeing as it has improved my mood and helped me feel more relaxed and balanced. I wouldn’t say my anxiety has magically completely gone but it is a lot better; I’m now able to slow down and observe the world at a slower pace.
Staying in good health is important to me so I always try to find ways to optimise both my physical and mental health. It has also helped me ease the symptoms of anxiety, and it’s helped me get a better quality of sleep.
Good health for me is about the mind as well as the body – feeling physically fit, and feeling good about myself means that I can go and achieve more of the things I want to do in life.
Sometimes it’s difficult to find the motivation, the time and the energy to make a few changes in our lives. After all we’re all human! However, we need to remind ourselves that a few and small steps are better than nothing at all. So every single effort makes a difference!