Adult Friendships, Quitting Cannabis and My 5AM Morning Routine
About This Episode
Content note: This episode contains honest discussion of cannabis use and withdrawal, menstrual health, and adult mental health. Please listen with care.
Sometimes you just need a life update episode. No heavy trauma. No deep dives. Just an honest conversation about where life is right now.
Camisha shares what her current daily life actually looks like, from her 5AM wake up to her evening wind down, and everything in between including a major hormonal health win, a vulnerable announcement about quitting cannabis, and the very real struggle of trying to make genuine friends as a grown adult.
In this episode, I share:
My full 5AM morning routine including waking my wife up, tongue scraping, non-toxic toothpaste, warm bone broth or spearmint tea, yoga, and meditation
Why I switched from a blaring alarm to a gentle Apple watch vibration and how that changed how my whole day feels
How I graduated from guided meditations and activations to sound baths and sitting in pure stillness
The spearmint tea discovery that gave me my first pain free period after months of the period flu
The science behind spearmint tea and how its anti-androgenic properties help reduce free testosterone and regulate the menstrual cycle
How to properly steep spearmint tea for maximum hormone balancing benefits and why 10 minutes is the sweet spot
The difference between Vitex Chasteberry, Red Raspberry Leaf Tea, and spearmint and how I have been using all three together
The very real challenge of making genuine adult friendships and why proximity made it so easy as kids but so hard as adults
How I have been using the Columbus Girl Gang Facebook page to intentionally find my community
Why I realized I cannot lean on my wife for all of my social and emotional needs and what I am doing about it
The full story of how I accidentally destroyed my hair in 2020, shaved it completely off, and what I learned from being bald
My new love for Innersens Organic Beauty and why I switched to non-toxic hair care products
Why I am quitting cannabis at the end of this year and what long term cannabis use does to your REM sleep and memory
A full breakdown of cannabis withdrawal symptoms and the REM rebound phenomenon and what to expect
Why dreaming matters for your emotional health, memory consolidation, and brain function
How my brother is going to be my accountability partner through the process
Our black Yule tree, our ornaments, and why our cat Sage is an absolute menace
The Spearmint Tea Protocol
For hormone balance and menstrual support, drink one to two cups of spearmint tea per day. Steep loose-leaf spearmint for up to 10 minutes maximum to preserve the volatile oils and avoid bitterness. Combine with Red Raspberry Leaf Tea and Vitex Chasteberry for additional hormonal support. Give it at least one full cycle to notice results.
Cannabis and REM Sleep: What You Need to Know
Long-term cannabis use suppresses REM sleep, which is the phase responsible for dreaming, memory consolidation, emotional processing, and brain repair. When you stop using cannabis, your brain undergoes a REM rebound where it compensates for lost sleep by entering REM more frequently and intensely. This can cause very vivid dreams and even nightmares in the first few weeks, but is a sign that your brain is healing.
Cannabis Withdrawal Timeline
Days 1 to 3 — Irritability, anxiety, restlessness, sleep disruption, decreased appetite, headaches, and sweating.
Days 3 to 6 — Symptoms are most intense. Severe insomnia, strong cravings, mood swings, anxiety, depression, sweating, and chills.
Weeks 2 to 4 — REM rebound begins. Very vivid dreams and possible nightmares as the brain catches up on lost sleep. Symptoms begin to stabilize.
After 1 month — Sleep and emotional state stabilize. Cravings reduce. Physical symptoms fade.
After several months, Occasional mild cravings and mood fluctuations, but overall significant improvement in memory, sleep quality, and emotional regulation.
Non-Toxic Swaps Mentioned
Boka toothpaste — no rinse formula that strengthens enamel without harmful chemicals
Hello toothpaste — a cleaner alternative to conventional brands
Innersense Organic Beauty — non-toxic hair care for natural thick curly hair with no hormone disruptors or endocrine disruptors
Bone broth from a local Columbus co-op — high in protein, collagen, and gut-supporting gelatin
Resources Mentioned
IIN, Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Use code CAMISHABLACKBURNXIIN for 25% off all classes
Connect with Camisha
Book your free health history session at Blackburn Wellness and let us talk about where you are and where you want to be.