Mindfulness Assessment
Mindfulness is more than just paying attention. This assessment maps your profile across five distinct facets, showing where your awareness is strongest and where it could grow.
This assessment measures five facets of mindfulness, each capturing a different way you relate to your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.
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Here is how your mindfulness breaks down across five facets.
The FFMQ is one of the most widely studied mindfulness measures in psychology. Here is a summary of the evidence.
Carpenter, J. K., Conroy, K., Gomez, A. F., Curber, L. A., & Hofmann, S. G. (2019). The relationship between trait mindfulness and affective symptoms: A meta-analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Clinical Psychology Review, 74, 101785.A meta-analysis of 148 studies with over 44,000 participants found that higher scores on the FFMQ were consistently associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and psychological stress.
Among the five facets, Acting with Awareness and Non-judging showed the strongest associations with reduced psychological distress.
What does this mean? People who score higher on the FFMQ tend to report fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. The strongest protective effects come from being present during daily activities (Acting with Awareness) and accepting your thoughts and feelings without harsh self-criticism (Non-judging).
The FFMQ was developed by Ruth Baer and colleagues in 2006 by combining items from five earlier mindfulness questionnaires. Factor analysis revealed five distinct facets that together capture the breadth of mindful experience.
The original FFMQ shows strong internal consistency across all five facets, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from .75 to .91 (Baer et al., 2006). The 15-item short form used as the basis for this assessment was validated by Gu et al. (2016) and retains adequate reliability.
Cross-cultural validity has been demonstrated in studies spanning North America, Europe, and East Asia (Karl et al., 2020), supporting the universality of the five-facet structure.
About Cronbach's alpha: This is a measure of internal consistency, meaning how well the items in a scale hang together. Values above .70 are generally considered acceptable. The FFMQ exceeds this threshold for each facet.
Each facet shows up differently in everyday situations. Explore what each looks like in practice.
You walk the same route every day and arrive without noticing anything in particular. The trip is just a gap between tasks.
You notice the warmth of the sun, the sound of traffic, the feel of the ground under your feet. You register small details in your environment.
Once today, pause for 10 seconds during a routine activity. Name one thing you can see, one you can hear, and one you can feel physically.
You say "fine" or "not great" but struggle to elaborate. You know something is off, but naming it feels difficult.
You can pinpoint the feeling: "I'm a bit anxious about a deadline, but also excited about a project I started." You find specific words for your state.
At the end of each day, write one sentence about how you felt. Try to go beyond "good" or "bad" and use a more specific word (relieved, restless, grateful, flat).
You eat while scrolling your phone and realize the plate is empty without remembering the taste or texture of the food.
You eat with attention. You notice the flavors, chew deliberately, and finish the meal feeling like you actually had it.
Pick one daily routine this week (brushing teeth, making coffee, commuting) and do it without any screens or distractions. Just do the activity.
You feel jealous and immediately criticize yourself: "I shouldn't feel this way, it's petty." The self-judgment adds a second layer of discomfort.
You notice the jealousy and accept it as a normal human response. You do not add self-criticism on top. The feeling passes more quickly.
The next time you notice self-critical thoughts about a feeling, try this reframe: "It makes sense that I feel this way given the situation." Then move on.
The feedback hits hard. You replay it for hours, draft a defensive reply, or shut down emotionally. The feeling takes over your afternoon.
You feel the sting but let it sit without immediately reacting. You acknowledge the discomfort and decide to respond later when you have perspective.
When a strong emotion arises, set a mental 90-second timer. Neuroscience research suggests the initial chemical surge of an emotion lasts about 90 seconds. Just observe it.
Both measure mindfulness, but from different angles.
This is an adapted 15-item version inspired by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Baer et al., 2006). Items were reworded for accessibility. It is not the official FFMQ instrument. Use your results as a starting point for self-reflection.
This assessment is for educational purposes only. It does not diagnose any condition. If you are experiencing psychological distress, please consult a qualified mental health professional.
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