Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Emily DrewPSY 1170

Lethbridge College

Have you ever wondered if there is a formula to live a

happy life?Abraham Maslow observed that there are steps each person must take in their life

to reachSELF-ACTUALIZATION.

What is SELF-ACTUALIZATION? Well, Maslow believed that every person has their own unique personal potential.

How do we reach this potential, you may ask?

It just so happens that Maslow created a Pyramid which leads us step by

step.

PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS (The things we need to survive!)

Lets start at the bottom and make our way to the top..

FOODWATER OXYGEN CLOTHING & SHELTERSLEEP SEX

You cannot progress in finding a happy and satisfactory life without first fulfilling your essential needs.

SAFETY NEEDS

Next we have…

SAFETY NEEDS focus on feeling safe and having a sense of security.

So many stresses and fears can be avoided if we have money, safety, freedom, and good health.

Love & Belonging

The next step is a sense of..

This step includes feeling you have wholesome friendships, regular intimacy, and family relations.

Esteem

Then there is Esteem needs. This step focuses on our need to feel we

are respected by others and ourselves.

This is a step I feel is often forgotten.

If you do not love and respect yourself, what

are you living for?

What do you find pride and joy in?

A lack of self esteem is a critical issue.

Each of these steps so far has an important role in an individuals life.

We all need the basics for survival, the need to feel safe, the need to feel loved and appreciated, and the need to feel respected by ourselves and others.

Each of these steps lead us to SELF-ACTUALIZATION.

So here it is Self-Actualization. A sense of knowing yourself, of feeling confident in who you

are and your presence in the world. You understand your potential and are continually finding ways to achieve it.

You have a sense of stability, belonging, worth, and joy in your life.

Isn’t this what we all want?

I have found that Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs gives us an understanding of what every individual needs to live a

happy and purposeful life.

Of course none of these steps will be perfect. Each of us has holes or gaps in our own hierarchy, but as a

professional you can easily find the root of an individuals struggles when you review their personal

hierarchy.

I believe that there would be less individuals committing suicide if there were more of a focus on

each step of Maslow’s Hierarchy.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is not just motivational, but monumental in every aspect of a fulfilling life.

References:• https://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs#/media/File:MaslowsHierarchyOfNeeds.svg

• Lifespan Development, Fifth Canadian Edition, Denise Boyd-Paul Johnson-Helen Bee (Course Textbook)