Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a simple but powerful tool for mindful self-reflection. It asks you to pause and evaluate your life as a whole, right now. It's not about fleeting moods; it's about your deeper, cognitive assessment of how close you are to your personal vision of a good life. Use this free, five-item assessment to gain a clear snapshot of your overall happiness baseline and discover where you might focus your intention next.
What is the SWLS?
We often get caught up in the details of the day - the emails, the errands, the small frustrations. But how often do we truly step back to look at the masterpiece that is our life, as a whole?
The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a widely respected, simple tool designed to help you do just that. It's not a diagnostic test; it's a mirror for your soul, providing an objective, five-question look at your cognitive evaluation of your life's quality.
Why Is This Important?
Your score on the SWLS reflects your judgment of the conditions of your life relative to your own personal standards and goals. A higher score doesn't mean your life is perfect, but that you perceive the distance between your current life and your ideal life to be small. A lower score simply acts as a gentle invitation to explore what deeper longings or unmet needs may be seeking your attention.
How to Approach the Assessment:
Find Quiet Space: Before you begin, take two mindful breaths. Let the noise of your day settle. This is an act of self-compassion; treat it with gentle focus.
Read the Statements: You will be presented with five statements about your life. Read each one slowly.
Choose Your Response Mindfully: Do not overthink your answers. Your first honest, intuitive response is usually the most accurate. Use the 7-point scale to indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each statement.
7 = Strongly Agree
6 = Agree
5 = Slightly Agree
4 = Neither Agree nor Disagree (Neutral)
3 = Slightly Disagree
2 = Disagree
1 = Strongly Disagree
Complete the Scale: Answer all five statements based on your life today.
____ In most ways my life is close to my ideal.
____ The conditions of my life are excellent.
____ I am satisfied with my life.
____ So far I have gotten the important things I want in life.
____ If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing
Scoring: Add the scores for all statements. A total of 35 indicates extreme satisfaction, while a total of 5 indicates extreme dissatisfaction.
The Next Step
Once you receive your score, reflection truly begins. High scores are an invitation to celebrate your strengths and maintain your trajectory. Lower scores are a powerful signal that there is a rich, meaningful area of your life ready for conscious attention. If, after taking this self-assessment tool, you realise you want more support in cultivating satisfaction, get in contact.
A Note of Intention (Disclaimer):
This self-assessment is designed for awareness and personal growth only. It is not a substitute for professional psychological evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. It provides insights into your current perception of wellbeing, which can be a valuable starting point for coaching, but it is not a clinical tool. If you are experiencing significant distress, please seek help from a qualified mental health professional.
Scale developed by Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71-75.