Cannabis is a face paced industry with no sign of slowing down. Each individual state is its own market, and as a result, information and experiences are varied. Standing still for a moment can leave you behind if you let it.
I entered into the legal marijuana industry right after turning 21 and was astounded by how little I actually knew both from scientific and social standpoints. In order to integrate myself into the industry, I spent hours falling down rabbit hole after rabbit hole of information just to get a grasp on this versatile plant. As time went on, my research and experience within the industry taught me two things. First, no one is a cannabis master. If they tell you so, they're either lying or don't know how little they really know. Second, it is important to maintain your mental health.
I started my current day job as a grower before moving into management on the harvest side. While this wasn't my time working in management, it was a new level of challenging. At first, it was daunting, but I found that I worked well under the pressure. I wanted to be the person who took care of the people working under my supervision while maintaining as high of standards as possible.
But as I took on my new role in addition to my blog, I let my jobs consume all of my time. I put my mental health on the back burner, resulting in sleep loss, a spike in anxiety, and generalized depression.
I resolved to take some time for myself. So I took the day off for my birthday and spent it as a mental health day, doing things that I enjoyed to reset and relax. But I also thought about how to maintain my mental health.
I began taking a small mental health break each night. Whether it was reading a book, taking a relaxing bath, or meditating with a hot cup of tea. Even if it was just for ten minutes or so, I gave myself a break from work, household needs, and the other things going on in my life. These small breaks drastically improved my health and my performance at work.
The cannabis industry may be fast paced and consistently evolving, but taking a pause to catch your breath is absolutely necessary. Burning yourself out will hurt your career, health, and relationships in the long run. Taking some time for yourself to help recharge is just as important as anything on your to-do list.