I first learned about Maslow's hierarchy of needs in high school, it was a breakthrough for me to have been taught this. This is the kind of stuff I would think about on my own time, and finally a teacher was treating it like facts. It helped understand the concept of Self Care, and it changed my life. Unfortunately, I grew and completely forgot about it... with that said, I want to return to studying Maslow's hierarchy of needs, because I know that it will benefit me as an adult. I also had no idea that Maslow is a woman the first time I learned about this... I guess I just assumed that pretty much any writing and theories was done by a guy.

As shown in the image above, the five stages are:

Self-actualization

Esteem

Love and Belonging

Safety

Physiological Needs

Physiological Needs

Water, food, air, shelter, sleep, etc.

Safety

Physical safety, emotional support, employment, financial security, etc.

Love and Belonging

Friendship, romance, family, sense of belonging, etc.

Esteem

Respect, self-respect, status, freedom, recognition, etc.

Self-Actualization

The ultimate goal according to Maslow's theory. People who have reached the top of the pyramid get the opportunity and the privilege to work on themselves. Those who get this opportunity often will feel fulfilled and proud of their capabilities.

Climbing up the Pyramid

The order of Maslow's hierarchy of needs goes from the bottom up. Meaning, people don't worry about the needs above until they have fulfilled their current human needs. The theory suggests that we will not find any motivation until the need is no longer met. More importantly, the need will grow stronger the longer the person does not have it. The first four steps, Esteem, Love and Belonging, Safety, and Physiological Needs are referred to as deficiency needs (D-needs), while 'Self Actualization is a growth or being needs (B-needs). Put simple, B-Needs are from the desire to grow as a person. Everyone is capable of move up the hierarchy toward a level of self-actualization. However, progress is often disrupted by the other needs. What disrupts this could be anything from losing a job, or a break up to something more dramatic like poverty. Which means, some people are stuck lower on the pyramid due to problems they have no control over.

#SelfCare

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a great example of how the dimensions of wellness relate back to human needs. In order to grow as a person and feel strong fulfillment... you need to take care of yourself first.

Hello. Nice to meet you! How are you? Hmm... this feels like a really one sided conversation... why don't you follow me on social media so I can get to know you too!

About the Author

I started blogging about two years ago, and my collection of blogs and articles is getting pretty impressive. I’ve taken online classes for writing, and even some classes about the art of blogging itself. It would be really awesome if you join the adventure, and maybe even help me think of what to write about next. If you would like to submit some feedback or ideas, you can always tweet me on Twitter.

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Work Cited

khanacademymedicine. “Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs | Behavior | MCAT | Khan Academy.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 Sept. 2013, website.

Mcleod, Saul. “Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.” Simply Psychology, Simply Psychology, 21 May 2018, website.

National Wellness Institute, website.