Survival In Crisis: What Do You Need Right Now?

In times of crisis humans experience a myriad negative emotions: anxiety, uncertainty, fear, overwhelm, and pessimism. This disruption drives us to focus more on our most basic survival needs than on our higher-order social needs.

Even when disrupted by occasional positive emotions, these negatives disrupt the most rational and evolved parts of our brains, and kick the more primitive, emotional, reactive parts into high gear.

Abraham Maslow famously articulated human needs as a hierarchy:

• At the base of the hierarchy are  physiological needs: food, clothing, and shelter. Having sufficient air, water, and sleep is imperative before we can consider any higher-level needs.

• Second is safety and security. Concerns about personal security, financial security, our job security, and our health overwhelm us in order to feel available to consider all else.

• Next is our need to belong. We all need to know who our “we” is: our friends, family, those we count on. How solid is our relationship with coworkers or managers? Feeling connected and a part of a tribe is crucial.

• As we move upwards, our needs become more sophisticated. After belonging, we focus on esteem. This relates to both the esteem we have for ourselves (self-esteem) and that others hold for us. To meet these needs, we need respect, recognition, autonomy, and status.

• At the top of the hierarchy is self-actualization. This is in relation to your most fulfilled self and the best version of yourself.

Many of you were likely experiencing self-actualization about 1 month ago and are now feeling the dramatic shift back to physiological. You are questioning everything in order to ensure your basic human needs are met. I encourage you in the next 6-12 weeks to determine where your needs need to be confirmed/fulfilled before making any big decisions.