Going Back to Our Basic Needs [The Stress Less Show - Episode 91]

On the go? Listen to The Stress Less Show as a Podcast!

Read the blog post version of this episode here!

[00:00:01.130] - Carlee

Are you getting your basic needs met? Well, you're going to find out on today's episode of The Stress Less Show. Hi, I'm Carlee Myers, your friendly stress management expert. And this month, we're really focusing on how to get our basic needs met, making sure that we are taken care of at the end of the day. And today, I want to come on the show to really create the foundation for this month's theme. Many of us have experienced 2020.


[00:00:31.790] - Carlee

Right. If we are here today, we most likely have gone through 2020. We've experienced quite a bit. It's been a rollercoaster. Some of us might describe 2020 as a dumpster fire. Others might describe it as a shit show. Other might others might say, hey, it was actually pretty good. I got to connect in. But regardless of how you experienced 2020, I can say this for sure.


[00:00:54.330] - Carlee

It is time for a new start. It's time to build on the successes that we've had in the past and create something even more beautiful. And a great place to start is by going back to the basics, really going and asking ourselves. Are my basic needs met? Now, to really create the foundation for this month on the show, I thought it would be a really good idea to actually just have a conversation, you and I, rather than bring on a guest.


[00:01:29.580] - Carlee

I wanted to really create some context for what we're really going for here. Now, many of you may have heard of this theory called Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Now, Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory created by none other than Abraham Maslow.


[00:01:47.940] - Carlee

You know, his theme, his theory is really about the fact that he believes that people are motivated by five basic categories of needs. Now, these categories range from physiological needs, safety, love and esteem and self actualization. So there's actually five basic needs that he's really measuring on when he's talking about fulfillment and happiness in a human's life. These are what he considers the basic needs. Now, this was a theory developed quite some time ago and quite fairly.


[00:02:26.310] - Carlee

We have every right to question is this theory really true? And so a few years ago in 2011, there were two researchers that said, you know what, I want to question this. I want to know, is this theory actually true? We've seen the results. We've seen people create real change in their lives by focusing in on these basic needs and getting them met. But let's really dig in. Is there scientific data behind this? And when they did this 2011 study of human needs across cultures, across cultures, the researchers, Lewis Tang and Ed Diener full disclosure, I probably pronounce their names wrong.


[00:03:02.860] - Carlee

They looked at data from over sixty thousand participants. And these participants actually were from over one hundred and twenty different countries, so all different backgrounds, all different types of people. It was a pretty diverse study.


[00:03:19.950] - Carlee

Now, they didn't find that there were five basic needs, they actually found that there were six. So through their scientific research, they actually found that there that there were six basic human needs that were very, very similar, almost the same as Maslow's theory. And this is one basic needs, which is very, very similar to physiological needs. Two safety. Love. Number three, pride and respect is number four mastery is number five and autonomy is number six.


[00:03:58.760] - Carlee

I love that they use this language and I think it's incredibly helpful. And I love to see that this is actually back in science now, and so I wanted to bring this forward because without our basic human needs met, we really are putting ourselves at a disadvantage to find true emotional freedom. So I wanted to take this month and go back to the basics. And so I wanted to start this week's episode with the basics of the basics. Now, according to this 2011 study, these this foundation need is called basic needs. Now, according to Maslow, its physiological needs.


[00:04:36.040] - Carlee

Now, let's go into detail a little bit about what that really means when we're talking about these basic human needs, the basic human needs, the physiological needs. In the words of Maslow, we're talking about needs such as clean air to breathe. Clean water to drink, access to, water to drink. Access to food, steady, stable shelter. Getting enough sleep, having clothes. And yes, even reproduction, I might substitute that word with the word pleasure.


[00:05:12.780] - Carlee

And so when we're looking at this foundation, this is the foundation of every basic human needs, this every basic human need. This is the first thing that must be met before we can move along. We got to do a few things. Now I want to give you the visual, just in case you have never Googled Maslow's hierarchy of needs, you've never seen the visual that goes along with it. The way that he actually outlined this theory is incredibly visual.


[00:05:39.930] - Carlee

Now, me as a visual learner, I really, really appreciate it. But I think it's actually really beneficial for all of us to have the context of how this is really laid out. And these five basic human needs that he created in his theory are actually assembled in a pyramid style. So at the very bottom, that's the base of the pyramid, the foundation, if you will. That is the the physiological needs. Now, the next layer of the cake is safety needs.


[00:06:09.660] - Carlee

And the next layer after that is love and belonging. And the next layer above that is esteem. And at the very top, that point of that pyramid is self actualization, or from that new 2011 study, autonomy. So today we're talking about this solid foundation building the foundation so that we can get all of these other needs met that are really reliant on needing this foundation.


[00:06:35.170] - Carlee

Now, the first thing that we're going to do to make sure that these basic needs are met is not assume anything, no assumptions here just because we may live in an incredibly, quote unquote, luxurious country.


[00:06:52.780] - Carlee

Maybe we live in the US or Australia or the U.K. and I'm just naming off countries with no context of luxury here, just the first ones that are coming to mind, Ireland, China. I don't know where you live, but. Just because we're living in this place, in this specific lifestyle, doesn't actually mean that our basic needs are being met. So the first step is just don't assume. Don't assume that your needs are being met because you may miss an opportunity to create some true space and clarity and even peace in your life. The second thing that I'm going to recommend that you do is. Ask yourself, get curious, ask yourself.


[00:07:31.560] - Carlee

Are my physiological needs being met? Now, that might turn into a few more questions, one being, you know, do I have access to clean air? Do I have access to clean drinking water? It may look like asking yourself. Do I drink enough water each day? I know for me, I'm always working to drink enough water. You can ask yourself. Do I have access to food in a stable, consistent way? Am I good in regards to shelter or am I worried about paying rent or being able to make my mortgage?


[00:08:12.940] - Carlee

Am I getting enough sleep? Do I have clothes and that question may more look like these days, do I have clothes that fit? I had to have that real honest conversation with myself into the pandemic. Do I have pants that fit? And the answer was no. I had to go buy some basic human need was not being met. And then. Is my basic human need of reproduction being met? Now, I always like to replace the word reproduction with pleasure.


[00:08:45.800] - Carlee

Am I pleasing myself? And so you're going to go through you're going to be curious, ask yourself, are my physiological needs being met and even going in deeper, maybe even re watching this relistening to this episode and writing down all those questions. Right. Do I have access to clean air? Do I have access to clean water? Am I drinking enough water? Do I have access to food on a consistent basis? Am I eating it when I should be?


[00:09:13.150] - Carlee

In correct intervals, am I eating breakfast, lunch and dinner, right? Do I have access to shelter? Is my shelter stable and consistent, really digging into those specific questions and getting the answers, being really honest and being in integrity with yourself and answering honestly. It can be a really humbly humbling experience and really powerful experience to say, oh, wait, you mean the only thing right now that's stopping me from emotional emotional freedom in my progress is drinking enough water. Maybe I'll go grab a cup of water right now. Right. That is the clarity.


[00:09:51.410] - Carlee

And the last step that you're going to take is you're going to ask yourself, what is the micro bravery step that I can take right now? What is the action that I can take that takes less than 10 minutes, 10 minutes or less? That is going to help me get this basic human need met. What is the action that I can take to get this physiological need met for myself so that I can find true emotional freedom?


[00:10:17.320] - Carlee

Now I want to know. What is the physiological need that you have right now that might not being that may not be met right now? Should you be drinking more water? Right. Should you be eating healthier foods or just food at all? Should we be getting more sleep?


[00:10:39.290] - Carlee

Let me know in the comments below or find us on Facebook or Instagram or wherever you can on Social to let us know where could you use a little bit of improvement, improvement in regards to meeting your basic needs or your physiological needs? If you're feeling overworked and exhausted, I've got some great news for you, the Stress Less Company works with high achieving executives, business owners and managers just like you to find that sense of peace and freedom that they desire. And as a result of our work together, they not only learn how to deepen their spiritual connection, but they also learn those tactical tools. So that they can experience more free time, more efficiency and, yes, even more prosperity. It sounds pretty great, right?


[00:11:26.220] - Carlee

Well, you can apply for a complimentary stress assessment today to start the conversation about working together. Simply visit stress, less co dot com slash apply for more information and to apply again that Stress Less Co dot com apply. Now, this concludes this episode of the Stress Less Show. And I want to give one last big shout out to each and every one of you who are listening. Thank you so, so much for showing up for yourself, for doing the deep work and for being the change that the world so desperately needs.


[00:12:01.680] - Carlee

If you've enjoyed this week's episode, let us know by giving us a big old thumbs up and hitting that follow or subscribe button. Thanks for listening. Share if it resonated. And we will see you next week. Bye now.