Needs - Basic needs For Every human

Every human has basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter. But there are more needs than that, and they can vary from person to person. Some people need companionship. Some need security. Some need organization. When these needs are met, people are content.

When you’re needs aren’t being met, you spend most of your time trying to get them met, and being dissatisfied in life. You have little spare time to focus on goals and actions that can help you evolve and grow because you’re spending all your time just trying to get your basic needs met.

Let’s look at an example. Say one of your basic needs—something that you require in order to live—is a good night’s sleep. Seems pretty simple, right? Well, maybe not, if you have an infant or insomnia or just a gigantic pile of work. Imagine you haven’t been getting enough sleep. You’re tired all day. You have dark circles under your eyes. You move as if you’re submerged under water. You can barely focus on your work and are not engaged with your loved ones.

Because you are tired all the time, because your need of sleep is not being met, you are unhappy. You are constantly thinking about how great a good night’s sleep would be. You might even take a spare 20 minutes here and there for cat naps, to try to get caught up. But it doesn’t work. Days are slipping past you.

So how can you change this? How can you make your life better? How can you give yourself the time it takes to progress, instead of just barely treading water?

Here are some steps you can take to clarify the situation and to determine what actions need to happen in order for your need to be met.

The first step is to confront it. Identify a basic need that is not being met.

1. My chosen need: I need sleep!

Next, ask yourself what percent of your time or energy is spent directly or indirectly trying to meet your need.

2. Percent of time/energy spent on need: 75% Maybe. I don’t know. I’m so tired.

Third, list the reasons why your need is not being met. What is causing this dissatisfaction?

3. Why is my need not being met? I have a new baby, I have too much work.

Now list the consequences of this need not being met. How is it affecting your life?

4. Costs: Can’t focus, tired all the time, not get things done, feeling depressed.

The fifth step is to identify the benefits of having this need met.

5. Benefits: More energy, better mood, able to concentrate, better equipped to take care of the baby.

Now ask yourself if you’re truly ready to have this need met. This may seem like a silly question if you’re talking about not getting enough sleep, but many times, you may find you need to work on some other things before confronting one issue. Also, there is power in telling yourself that you are ready to make a change.

6. Are you ready to have this need met? YES!

Now brainstorm ideas on what you can do to meet this need. You may want to ask people whom have had similar issues to help you, or read up on your issue in books or articles online.

7. What can I do? Take turns caring for the baby every other night so that my partner and I at least get every other night for uninterrupted sleep, hire a babysitter or ask a friend or relative to watch the baby for a few hours, identify activities or tasks in my daily life that can be eliminated or delegated, use better time management at work, ask for help, read up on baby’s sleep, have patience.

Now think of people in your life that can help you meet your need. But remember that you don’t have control over others, only yourself. So help may be out there for you, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Also, if you don’t have a support network to assist you right now, don’t despair. You have an extraordinary source of power within yourself.

8. Who can help me? Partner, grandparents, co-workers, babysitter.

The final step is to put your plan into action. Once your needs are being met, at least partially, you’ll start feeling the weight lift from your shoulders. You’ll find you have more time in the day to focus on your goals and your interests. Instead of desperately seeking to meet your needs and coming up short time and time again, you will have developed a plan, taken action, and seen real results. Make sure your needs are met. Without this, we can’t truly live the way we’re intended to live.