Creating Mindfulness for Resilience in the Workplace

The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Wellness Works, in partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM), hosted a roundtable discussion on creating mindfulness and resilience in the workplace. Cindy Bjorkquist, M.S., Director of Well-being for BCBSM, shared statistics and advice on bettering yourself and those around you.

Mindfulness in the Brain

Your mind and the brain go hand in hand. For example, there is a significant presence of white matter in your pre-frontal cortex, which is made up of nerve fibers that allow the exchange of information and communication between different brain areas.

Studies have shown that the stronger your brain’s white matter is, the more resilient you are to conflict and stress. To strengthen your white matter, try some of these healthy ways to train your brain:

  • Start a gratitude journal: write five things you are grateful for first thing in the morning or before bed.
  • Meditate 10 minutes each day. Apps such as Headspace, Simple Habit, and Calm offer free or discounted guided sessions.
  • Build and maintain a community of trusted loved ones.

Identifying your Explanatory Style

One of the most critical components of conflict resilience is identifying how you respond when facing adverse events or conflict with others. Click here to view resources on how to identify your style.

When you identify your response style, you can better identify and name your emotions accurately, and find the best solutions for you to remain mindful and resilient during hard times.

Additional data suggests mindfulness-based intervention among patients with severe mental illness can improve quality of life and impact the frequency and intensity of negative symptoms. Read more about it on our Wellness Works blog.

Evaluating your Sleep Hygiene

Although it is well known that sleep quality is an important aspect of our well-being, some underestimate the role sleep hygiene plays in mood and brain function. When functioning on low-quality sleep, the brain is unable to work at its best.

Sleep hygiene analysis is often used as a treatment for insomnia. However, it can be used by anyone. According to VeryWell Health, “sleep hygiene is typically measured in terms of good, poor, or fair levels. This means you either have good habits or you have some good habits and others that detract from a good night’s sleep, or you have many poor sleep habits contributing to poor sleep hygiene.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a good night’s sleep for most adults as follows:

  • Getting seven or more hours of sleep per night
  • Feeling rested after waking
  • Feeling awake during daytime hours 3

Click here to measure your quality of sleep.

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