Self-Compassion Assessment SCSfree self-assessment

About this assessment

Self-compassion can be understood quite simply: when you make a mistake, fail, or are going through pain, can you respond to yourself with some of the understanding you would offer another person? It does not mean lowering standards or excusing everything you do. It means not adding another layer of harsh criticism when things are already difficult. Kristin Neff introduced the concept and developed the Self-Compassion Scale in 2003. A large body of later research has linked self-compassion with better psychological adjustment. In Hong Kong, it is easy to associate 'being strict with yourself' with being hardworking or ambitious, so this questionnaire offers another question: is that internal voice actually helping you move forward, or does it push you down further when you fall?

What does it look at?

The questionnaire looks at six dimensions of how you respond to yourself in difficult moments: self-kindness and self-judgement, common humanity and isolation, and mindfulness and over-identification. In practical terms, it asks whether you can understand yourself or immediately blame yourself, remember that other people struggle too, and notice emotions without being completely swept up in them.

This assessment may suit you if...

• You notice that your standards for yourself are much harsher than the standards you apply to anyone around you.
• When something goes wrong, the first voice you hear is usually one criticising yourself.
• You want to understand what 'being kinder to yourself' could actually look like in practice rather than as a vague slogan.