How Compassionate You Are to You?
For most of us, finding compassion for others who are struggling is easy to do. We’re often kinder to others than we are to ourselves.
Finding that same compassion for ourselves doesn’t always come naturally. Unfortunately, we can be harsh on ourselves, fostering feelings of inadequacy, stress, anxiety or depression.
Research shows that self-compassion is linked to life satisfaction. You can take the self-compassion quiz to identify where you are now, or take it again to measure your progress after working to build skills of self-acceptance.
What is Self-Compassion?
Self-compassion involves treating the self with care and concern when considering personal inadequacies, mistakes, failures, and painful life situations.
It can be argued that building self-compassion skills are the most important psychological skills to develop for good mental health. The relationship we have with ourselves affects virtually all aspects of our life.
If we do not accept ourselves for who we are and feel that we can only be “enough” if we reach certain standards, we are bound to a life of suffering.
Some people fear that self-criticism is motivating and self-compassion might lead to laziness or a loss of motivation. However, research has shown the opposite to be true. The greater compassion we have for ourselves, the greater our ability to pursue and stick to goals that support our well-being.
Take our self-compassion quiz to find out how you respond to yourself during times of difficulty.
The short self-compassion test measures the elements of self-compassion identified by Dr. Kristin Neff (self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness) and the things that get in the way (self-judgment, isolation, and over-identification).
Use the scale to help you pinpoint the areas you are already doing well and the areas that need your attention to continue to nurture the power of self-compassion.
You will receive an email with your results broken down in each category.
*You will also receive self-compassion exercises you can practice to strengthen self-acceptance and self-compassion.*
How I Typically Act Towards Myself in Difficult Times
Instructions for the self-compassion quiz:
Please read each statement carefully before answering. Underneath each item, indicate how often you behave in the stated manner.
Reference:
Neff, K.D. (2003). Development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2, 223-250.