Why do we need to meet our physiological needs?

There is a theory from Abraham Harold Maslow called Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. This hierarchy explains that personal growth and development of a human being must occur in different sequential stages, or you will likely fail to develop. The first tier of the hierarchy is physiological needs, suggesting that before humans can worry about anything else in life they must have their most basic needs mastered. Only then can people start to worry about things like safety, love, self-esteem, and a desire to be ones best self.

What are the physiological needs, and how do we meet them?

Some of these most basic needs include, but are not limited to:

• Food and water
• Shelter and clothing
• Medical care

Food and Water

Food and water are the most important because if you are hungry and thirsty all day then your higher level brain functions are going to be absolutely crippled. If you don’t have food and water that is what you should spend your day finding. If you have no income you will need to either find a food bank that can give out food and water as charity, or find any way you could possibly help someone else in exchange for money to buy these necessities.

Shelter and Clothing

Shelter and clothing are the next most important elements as they protect you from the elements. If you can find a good comfortable place to sleep that is a bonus because quality sleep helps keep your bodily functions in regular order. If you are struggling to find shelter you can make use low income dormitories or homeless shelters in your area in extreme circumstances find any structure that will put a barrier between you and the weather. If you struggle to find affordable clothing you can make use of second hand stores, receive them as a gift from someone, or use local garment banks.

Medical Care

Access to preventative care ensures your best chance to stay healthy in the long run, but at a minimum you must have a way to get medical care for when medical problems arise. If you have very low income you may qualify for Medicaid to help you financially with medical care, or you can visit community health centers in your area. In an emergency you can always visit a non-profit hospital and they cannot turn you away just because you cannot pay.

The next step.

The next step in your personal development journey after your physiological needs are your safety needs. We will cover this in an upcoming article as well as the remaining tiers of Maslow’s Hierarchy thereafter. If you have any questions, or think I missed something, add it to the comments below!