Understanding Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) was an American Psychologist who developed a theory based around human motivation & self-actualisation.
Self-Actualisation is, according to Maslow, the state that human beings desire to be. It's where they can achieve their full potential. Maslow believed that whilst this may vary between people, the fundamental desires are similar, and for people to achieve this actualisation, there are a hierarchy of needs that must be met.
The 5 needs are:
1. Physiological. Basic survival needs that all humans need. (Food, water, sleep, sex, warmth & shelter). These basic survival needs are considered the most important as without this, the other needs are unlikely to be fully met.
2. Safety. Once the basic survival needs are met, the next set of needs are for being safe from harm or fear. This can be through the security of your home, your family, the community and police etc.
3. Love & Belongingness. Relationships: being a part of a family, a community, or part of a group where you are loved and connected to others.
4. Esteem. (Ego-driven). Self-worth, self-respect, accomplishment. Being respected and acknowledged by others.
5. Self-Actualising. The highest needs which describes where you can realise your dreams and goals. A feeling of contentment, safety, happiness and fulfillment within your life. At this stage, you're likely to be seeking further growth, new experiences and accomplishing goals.
Image from www.simplypsychology.org/maslow
How is it Relevant to Me?
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs demonstrates the importance of recognising and understanding what you need in order to thrive in all aspects of life and reach your full potential.
Whether you're actively working towards making changes in your life, or figuring out how to feel more satisfied and content with life, the principles of Maslow's theory can help you understand why taking care of yourself holistically - from those basic needs to self-fulfilment - is essential.
Break Down of Stages
Physiological Needs
Sleep: Many who are at risk of, or who are experiencing burnout are having much less sleep than is recommended. For example, if you're facing a lot of pressure from work, or you're focused on setting up your business, you may sacrifice your own rest time to get everything finished.
It's not just relevant for in a work environment. If, like myself you manage low energy / fatigue, then a combination of unrefreshing sleep, PEM or feeling pressure to do more than your body wants can mean that these basic needs are not met.
Food: Eating habits may change due to a lack of appetite from chronic stress, little energy, or a lack of time. This can lead to an increased need for snacks / takeaway meals due to less time to prepare & cook meals.
Tips to Meet these Needs:
Introduce boundaries as soon as possible! these are boundaries for you, designed to protect your physical and mental health, holistic wellbeing and your energy.
Introduce downtime each day. This is particularly important if you work from home. Create a start and end of the day ritual to help your brain switch from home to work.
Flexible working is great, but be mindful that you're not stealing time from yourself. Your self care is as important as finishing that task. Whether this is taking a bath, going for a walk, chilling out with a bag of popcorn - give your brain the chance to recharge!
Meal planning is a great way to encourage a nutritional approach. Consider batching recipes, or asking for help if you can!
Safety Needs
As well as consideration for physical safety, feeling and being safe day to day, it's also important to consider emotional safety and freedom from fear, whether that's health, financial worries or having stability within your life.
In today's chaotic and busy society, many are living in a state of chronic, constant stress. Experiencing burnout, feeling overwhelmed with work or stresses in personal lives can all contribute to these feelings.
When you're chronically stressed, health is likely to suffer, with the potential for increases in chronic, autoimmune illnesses, insomnia and lowered mental wellness.
Health: Chronic stress can have a big impact on both your physical and mental health. Being in a constant state of fight / flight / freeze, will ultimately cause physical as well as emotional issues like anxiety or depression.
Work / Employment: An environment where you're overworked, with little reward, limited rest breaks, or a lack of recognition, all contribute to a sense of not feeling safe and secure within your work. Job insecurity is something that many face day to day. If you run your own business, this itself comes with a number of additional stresses and pressure points.
Tips to Meet these Needs:
Make time for you to destress and recharge. There are many tools you can find online to help you manage your emotional wellbeing and mental health. Using grounding exercises like the 5,4,3,2,1 technique are all great at helping to recenter and lessen the stress you're feeling.
Take breaks as often as you need and introduce structured free time. This is especially essential if you work from home / run your own business. If your work environment feels unsafe, or if you are facing job insecurity, consider what you can do to protect yourself in the short term and consider other options where possible.
Seek support from mentors or supervisors in work to ensure that your voice is heard and experiences are understood.
Love & Belongingness Needs
Relationships: Relationships with others can become strained when a person is experiencing burnout, feeling stressed or experiencing mental health issues. When you manage low energy, disengagement with others and a loss of interest in things that you used to enjoy can impact relationships further.
When you experience isolation and a lack of love and acceptance that comes with connection, it can impact your mental health and satisfaction with life.
Tips to Meet these Needs:
Commit to connecting with people each week, even if only for a short time. Join online communities if access is an issue. Give yourself permission to take a day off to meet up with family or friends and just allow yourself to be you!
Esteem Needs
Self -worth: Feeling respected and held in esteem by others supports self-confidence, self-respect, and self-worth. At times it can be difficult to see value in yourself, especially if you're experiencing chronic stress, burnout or finding it tough to find your way in the world.
When you are given respect, and are included as part of the group, it helps you to feel valued and recognised for being you. Everyone has the desire to be liked and respected by others, so this stage is essential for reaching self-actualisation.
Respect of others: When you feel seen and respected by others, your motivation to keep going, to keep showing up continues to grow, encouraging you to keep pushing forward.
Tips to Meet these Needs:
As per connection, focusing on building your confidence to be an advocate for yourself, or to speak up, offer your opinions and ideas, and don't be afraid to celebrate your achievements!
Self-Actualisation Needs.
Self-Actualisation is where you are realising your full potential. You're the most complete at this stage, authentic to yourself, and actively pursuing personal growth. You are able to continue moving forward with purpose, confident in yourself and your ability to achieve those dreams and goals.
At this stage you're making full use of your skills, living a rewarding and content life, happy and fulfilled within your life, but also open to further growth and change.
As Maslow wrote:
“It refers to the person’s desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially. The specific form that these needs will take will of course vary greatly from person to person. In one individual it may take the form of the desire to be an ideal mother, in another it may be expressed athletically, and in still another it may be expressed in painting pictures or in inventions” (Maslow, 1943, p. 382–383)
Tips to Meet these Needs:
Create a vision board or brain dump all of your dreams and big goals. Look at what you want the most and make some plans on how you will achieve them.
Increase your self-awareness so that you know what makes you tick, what excites and motivates you and bring more of this into your life.
Be proud of who you are, celebrate your differences and the things that make you uniquely you!
Final Reflections
As with any theory, there will be aspects that resonate and others that don't. What I love about Maslow's theory is that it clearly demonstrates the need to take care of those essential needs before we can think about moving on to pursuing those big goals.
If you want to prevent burnout, and learn how to live in a way that recognises and responds to fluctuation energy, life events and experiences, getting those needs (sleep, nutrition, water etc.) met is essential.
The next time that you feel guilt about taking a break, or choosing to spend time with others rather than sitting for hours at your desk, think about the Hierarchy of needs and remember - it's all about balance ☺️
What changes do you need to make to ensure that your needs are met?