The Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS, 2018) is a 33-item scale that measures the self-reported frequency of behaviors that measure self-care behavior. Note, there are an additional three general questions for a total of 36 items.Self-care is defined as the daily process of being aware of and attending to one’s basic physiological and emotional needs including the shaping of one’s daily routine, relationships, and environment as needed to promote self-care. Mindful self-care addresses self-care and adds the component of mindful awareness.Mindful self-care is seen as the foundational work required for physical and emotional well- being. Self-care is associated with positive physical health, emotional well-being, and mental health. Steady and intentional practice of mindful self-care is seen as protective by preventing the onset of mental health symptoms, job/school burnout, and improving work and school productivity.This scale is intended to help individuals identify areas of strength and weakness in mindful self-care behavior as well as assess interventions that serve to improve self-care. The scale addresses 6 domains of self-care: mindful relaxation, physical care, self-compassion and purpose, supportive relationships, supportive structure, and mindful awareness. There are also three general items assessing the individual’s general or more global practices of self-care: engaging in a variety of self-care activities, planning self-care, and exploring new ways of bringing self-care into the individual’s life.
Please Cite as: Cook-Cottone, C. P., & Guyker, W. M. (2018). The development and validation of the Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS): An assessment of practices that support positive embodiment. Mindfulness, 9(1), 161-175.
If you would like to use this scale in research or in a publication please contact Dr. Catherine Cook-Cottone at cpcook@buffalo.edu for permission.