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7 Basic human needs
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to Depression page
1)The need to give and
receive attention.
The need to give and receive attention. Without regular contact with other people, mental condition, emotional state and behaviour can suffer. Doing anything that makes you interact with other people can really lift mood. Don't forget that Human Beings are social creatures. Some people may remember
how it feels to take a long walk or run, exercising in the gym, waking up after
a really restful sleep or even after a healthy meal, knowing that the body and
mind are getting what they need. Taking heed of the mind body connection. This is so important, and so often neglected. Without correct and regular nutrition, sleep and exercise, your psychological state can suffer considerably. It is often seen that young people, on leaving home and the structure that provides, succumb to one mental illness or another. Their mealtimes, sleep patterns and other regular habits become disrupted, with predictable consequences. It seems that people are increasingly treating themselves as machines! Back to top The need for purpose, goals "The devil makes work for idle hands." One of the things that sets us apart from other animals is the ability to analyse a problem and then to solve it. We do this by using our imaginations, so if we neglect this, our imaginations can start to create problems of its own where previously there were none. So setting yourself tasks
and goals gives you a purpose and can keep that imagination working with you. Connection to something bigger than oneself. It gives you a reason for being, over and above your own personal needs, that has been shown to benefit the immune system, mental health and happiness. Religion may be the obvious choice here, but it can be your football club, book reading club, charity work and such like. Basically anything that takes the focus off of yourself and focuses your attention outwardly. Back to top The need for creativity and stimulation. Learning something new, expanding horizons, improving on existing skills all provide a sensation of progress and achievement. Without this, a person can feel worthless, or that there is no real reason for their being. Back to top The need to feel understood and connected. Tying in with the need for attention, it seems that people have a need to share their ideas, hopes and dreams with others close to them. For some, this can be as simple a talking to a loved pet, but for most of us, it requires that we have at least one individual with whom we can converse 'on the same level'. Back to top The need to feel a sense of control. The results of total loss of control over your surroundings, relationships or body are not hard to imagine. Prisoners of war in Nazi concentration camps fared the best if they were able to keep a sense of control, for instance, "He can do what he wants to me, but i'm not going to tell them anything until the morning," gave the prisoner a little bit of control back. Being able to keep even a little sense of control even in the most difficult circumstances can give you a better than average chance in any situation. This is why having a variety of interests and activities is so important, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Having many interests enables you to have more control even if things go wrong. Back to top
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