Satisfying Your Psychological Needs: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, created by Abraham Maslow in 1943, illustrates how people satisfy their needs through different stages of life. The hierarchy illustrates that humans cannot achieve self-actualization (the fifth and final stage) if they have not first satisfied the preceding needs on the list. The five stages include physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization.


1. Physiological



First, we need food and water to survive. A lack of water can kill us within a matter of days while food can sustain us for weeks. As such, these are arguably our most important needs as humans. If you're dehydrated or malnourished, your body will take over as it tries to make sure you survive. You'll have no energy for socializing and other less pressing matters. In short, if you don't take care of your physiological needs first, your ability to meet any other need is severely limited and may not even be possible at all. Luckily, they're also some of the easiest needs to satisfy since they only require that you eat enough food and drink enough water every day. Once those basic requirements are met, then it's time to start looking into meeting higher-level needs.

You need self-esteem in order to feel confident in yourself and your abilities so that you can pursue goals confidently without fear of failure or rejection. A good place to start when trying to build self-esteem is by working on internal characteristics like personal values, morals, ethics and integrity. Once you feel good about who you are as a person—not just what kind of job title you hold—you'll naturally be more confident in your abilities because others see those same qualities in you.


2. Safety



Making money and staying safe are at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy for a reason. Without personal security and financial freedom, people will not be able to focus on other needs like love, self-esteem or personal growth. Staying safe means creating a reliable income source with protections against risk. While it’s tempting to try to cut corners here (for example, living with less than $1 in your savings account), that often leads to more serious consequences. Money management is a difficult skill set to master without professional help; if you don’t know where to start, consider working with a financial planner who can help you put together an emergency fund and identify what kind of insurance (health, life) you should have in place.


3. Belonging



At one level, belonging may be as simple as having other people to share a cup of coffee with in the morning. When we're lonely or socially isolated, we start to lose our sense of self-worth and happiness. Whether it’s making friends, getting out into your community or just having someone you can talk to, don't underestimate how powerful it is to know that there are people who want you around. Belonging has even been shown to improve physical health—people who are more socially connected tend to have lower blood pressure and live longer than those who aren't. So make an effort to reach out more often and build new relationships.


4. Self-esteem



This is perhaps one of Maslow’s most important psychological needs. Without self-esteem, people become neurotic, which means they are unsure of themselves and question their ability to do things, even things they know they can accomplish. Self-esteem and learning new skills go hand in hand—you won’t know what you can or cannot do if you don’t try! Self-esteem is also something we can build on and take with us no matter where we end up; it will always help us achieve more than thinking about ourselves negatively or doing nothing at all.

Like Our Facebook Page

More Interesting Articles

Psychological Facts About Ghost Dreams

Image
Have you ever woken up from a dream only to realize that what you dreamed about was actually happening in your real life? Did you ever get the feeling that somebody or something was following you and only when you turned around did you find out that it was nothing but your imagination? If so, then you might be experiencing a phenomenon known as ghost dreams, or deja vu, which can be both exciting and frightening at the same time! Are you being haunted by your dreams? Here are some psychological facts about ghost dreams that may explain what's going on. 1. Types of Dreams In general, there are two different types of dreams: oneiric and oneirognomic. Oneiric refers to dream experiences during sleep or when falling asleep or waking up; oneirognomic is dreaming while in a state of wakefulness, such as just before drifting off to sleep, or when daydreaming. Both types of dreams can contain ghosts and spirits—but they do so in very different ways! Read on for more information about each ...
Read more

Positive Psychology How To Be Happy In Life

Image
The Psychology of Happiness: How to Find Joy in Everyday Life Happiness is a state of mind that everyone strives to achieve. But what does it really mean to be happy? And how can we find happiness in our everyday lives? In this blog post, we'll explore the psychology of happiness. We'll look at what happiness is, how it's measured, and some of the key factors that contribute to happiness. We'll also provide some practical tips on how to find joy in everyday life. 1. Introduction It is said that happiness is a state of mind. But what exactly is happiness, and what causes it? Psychologists have been studying happiness for many years, and they have some interesting theories about what it is and how we can achieve it. Some believe that happiness is determined by our genetic make-up, while others think that it’s the result of our upbringing or our environment. There is still much to learn about happiness, but one thing is for sure: it’s a complex topic that is worthy of our ...
Read more

Most Common Psychological Facts

Image
Basically, therapy helps family in large part cause it can demonstrate reason public act the way they do. At this moment somewhat professional awareness, a clinician can help people better their conclusion making, stress administration and demeanor established understanding past behavior to better call future action. All concerning this can help public have a more successful course, better connections, more self-assurance and overall better ideas. When you are ignored by the person whose attention means the foremost to you, the reaction in your brain are going to be kind of like physical pain. The less you say, the more your words will matter. There will be be always be a reason why you meet people, either you would like them to vary your life or you are the one who helps to vary theirs. When you specialize in problems, you may have problems. once you target the probabilities, you'll need more opportunities. Don't take everything personally. Not everyone worries you, the maxim...
Read more

Some Psychological Tricks To Attract a Girl

Image
We’ve all heard the saying, It’s what’s on the inside that counts, and indeed many women agree with this concept. However, when it comes to dating, some women may be looking for more than just your personality — they might want your confidence as well! Learn how to attract women by using these some psychological tricks to help boost your confidence and lure in your dream girl! 1. Compliment Her. A Lot. The more you flatter a woman, and show her how much you care about her, she'll be more likely to return those feelings. Compliment a woman like she’s your best friend. Use phrases like You look great today, I love how smart you are, and You're so funny! when talking with her. Notice what it is that makes her stand out, and praise it in public and in private. 2. Stop Talking About Yourself. If you're constantly talking about yourself and your accomplishments, you may have a hard time appearing humble, which is one trait women find attractive in men. What's more, it can b...
Read more