If you’ve ever studied any sociology or psychology you are bound to be familiar with this diagram; Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Brief recap – you can only move up to the next level of the triangle if the needs below have been met.
Covid19 is really proof that this model works, but wow, what a time it is for exploring and finding out where you sit on the triangle right now. No one can be expected to be sat in the zone of esteem all the time, we are living through challenging times in which we may have heard of Corona cases affecting loved ones, or indeed be a keyworker. However, never before in this lifetime has it been more important to make sure we get our physiological needs right.
What I have found really interesting as a homeopath and life coach is that how we react to changes in our physiological needs really helps in determining the right remedies for people. So a few brief questions before we went into lockdown about how people were dealing with the food shop, what were they worried about, how were they sleeping were really useful in terms of pinpointing exactly which remedies would benefit them.
We all have fears, and for many the fears of not having life’s basics are all too real and stark. I have found that many people have intense fears about going to the supermarket, because they have to change routines, buy new products, cannot think about alternatives and have less money than they are used to. This can result in panic attacks and moments of intense anxiety. We are not able to make good choices when we are in a place of fear and panic. Our nervous system goes into a kind of meltdown as a way of protecting us from making bad choices. If this sounds like you then have you thought of asking for a remedy to help with this?
For others who have lost work, been furloughed, changed routines (well that’s everyone then) and had other factors impacting on routines, there is so much to contend with. Frustration, anger, mood swings, emotional outbursts, indecision, these can be the key emotions at play and taking a remedy when you recognise the signs is a great way of processing.
In the zone of love and belonging how many of us have been challenged here? Not able to see family and friends, or perhaps too much family resulting in claustrophobia? It may open up old wounds about past relationship trauma, abandonment issues, grief, neglect or abuse. Again, talking through this with a professional is going to be a good way of building up resilience during this storm. Remedies can really support this too.
I think that a loss of esteem may be such a big factor for so many people right now who are used to working and having a role to play in society. The loss of self-esteem is a grieving process. Taking some time to just sit with, how do you feel about yourself today? What could you do differently tomorrow to make tomorrow a better day?And just as we’d all like to be sat at the top in the zone of self-actualisation, well there are days when it is a challenge to get out of our pyjamas!
I think it’s ok to be dealing with physiological needs and to be thinking about meditating and our place in the world. Just as it’s alright to be feeling sad about not seeing family, sad you ate all your snacks and grateful for being able to journal about things. But if things feel really tough and you are really struggling then maybe you could ask yourself are my physiological needs being met? Then work up through the triangle. If you are stuck, need advice or reassurance then get in touch. Everyone is facing challenges, our needs are changing daily and no one has been in this situation before. Stay safe!
