Human Development

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs begins with physiological needs. Basic needs are essential to survive. In fact, newborn babies will only focus on physiological needs until they build enough trust in their influential adult to keep meeting those needs. 

Physiological needs will always need continuous attention. Temperature, and a content stomach will help us to concentrate and learn shunning those ‘hangry’ emotions that can only reduce when feeling satisfied.

It makes sense that schools offer breakfast clubs as a content child can concentrate and learn (especially if they’re wandering through other platforms and into their self-actualisation platform)

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Influential adults require a lot of energy to multi-task! Role modeling, playing, teaching, and responding to children’s needs as well as being several steps ahead to help manage the day’s stressors at any given time is a vocation and taxing. If influential adult’s physiological needs are met, they have a better chance of keeping up with the children and young people (they too will be in the self-actualisation platform). The influential adult will be motivated to be their best. So, think about how you can support your basic needs by

• On stressful days, notice if you are breathing deeply and slowly, expanding the rib cage and diaphragm to help calm your nervous system,
• Choosing nutritious food for energy (with an occasional cheeky treat for a dopamine hit), 😁
• attend to hormones such as serotonin by getting some sunlight,
• Imagine what your ‘shelter’ would look like that meets your sensory needs. Does your environment create safety and comfort?
• Finally, sleep is a physiological need, yet millions of people will be surviving without a healthy dose of sleep. Energy levels, concentration, and motivation suffer from sleep deprivation. Make quality sleep a priority if needed. 

 Safety Needs

• Health and wellbeing
• Safe against injury or accidents
• Financial security
• A secure haven; place and people

Maslow’s safety needs mean we are meeting our survival instincts to thrive. The second platform focuses on the sense of safety. So, what makes children feel safe? What is their perception of safety? How can the people they are surrounded by in the environment they experience support that sense of safety? This directly links to developing healthy attachment strategies and once a child feels safe, they can move to other Maslow platforms to crucially learn stuff.

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Now let us look at this from the influential adult’s perspective. Who thrives when their workplace meets safety needs? How many times have you noticed when work colleagues have open and honest conversations with each other, it forms supportive relationships, reducing the risk of tension, anxiety, or worry?

A person who feels safe can be present and patient towards children and young people, and they can be motivated to influence and share, thus creating healthy experiences. Can you mull over the following points to reflect on safety needs?

• What healthy relationships do you consider vital?
• What can you influence so your job, and home meet your sense of safety (focus on what you can influence to widen the sense of achievement),
• Consider how you can meet the child’s needs and your needs too. What can you say or do to help in challenging situations?
• Use the 7 types of rest to ensure your wellbeing is a priority.

Love and Belonging Needs 

• Family
• Friendships
• Romantic attachments
• Community
• Groups for hobbies or common interests to enhance positive relationships that provide acceptance and belonging

The third platform of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is essential to develop meaningful and healthy relationships. Connection, acceptance, and unconditional care can elevate confidence. To be validated, seen, and empowered easily boosts a person to the Esteem platform.

Feeling connected to family, and a community is transformational. A sense of belonging, sharing responsibilities, and a place to heal (when needed) are fundamental to positive mental health. Everyone needs a source of strength, and emotional support (and sometimes financial support) at some point. Those experiences of receiving support can role model how to be the support for others when needed.

Ultimately, having healthy relationships forms a deep attachment that can spread across all the Maslow platforms. The connections naturally form bonds to meet the needs of all the platform needs. Sharing and witnessing lives is motivating; helping others reach their full potential is rewarding. 

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If influential adults feel love, care, and a sense of belonging, they are more likely to be available to offer such love, care, and a sense of belonging to children and young people. The adult’s anchors will enable them to be a child’s secure base (anchor), thus developing healthy attachment strategies to fear, danger, or stress.

“The truth is, you cannot love yourself unless you have been loved and are loved. The capacity to love cannot be built in isolation.” Bruce D. Perry, The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: 

Developing and maintaining relationships can be challenging at times.  Taking time to focus on one’s needs will replenish an influential adult and therefore they can continue to be emotionally available and influence child development.  

• Can you identify a time per week/month to focus on replenishing your needs?
• Can you schedule a lunch break with colleagues who positively support motivation (laughing and talking about the positive parts of the job),
• Are there times to mentally note or consider how family and friendships give you that sense of belonging (now, some people may roll their eyes at this point, however, to combat the brain’s negative bias, it is an opportunity to remind the brain of the positive elements and maybe think how to do this more),
• Social media is popular and can meet the needs of having a place to belong. Remember that feel-good hormones are released even more when experiencing a healthy relationship in person. (just to note this can differ for neurodiverse people due to their sensory needs). 

Esteem Needs

• Appreciation
• Respect
• Self-worth
• Valued
• Making a contribution
• Feel confident in their abilities

To summarise, esteem needs are nearing the top of the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. Those who have had love and have a secure base ooze and radiate confidence and self-worth. On the whole, a healthy brain and body that feels safe and loved will feel valued and respected. It allows more time to feel motivated to reach a full potential.

An esteemed person will have respectful relationships. A person will want to contribute to society to make a difference because they are not using their energy to find food or seek comfort and safety.

Furthermore, feeling worthy cultivates self-acceptance. Confidence is asking for help or to explain a task. To be curious and respectfully ask more questions and try new things. To stand up to bullies because they are comfortable with their social status (this is not to say that social status won’t change).

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Influential adults who have their esteem needs met are more likely to be flexible when raising children. As their esteem is recognised, they will role model self-respect which in turn promotes the child to develop for themselves.

An esteemed influential adult will feel confident in enforcing boundaries with other adults and children, they will not need to compare themselves with others and can recognise self-doubt or negative self-talk. It’s good to take time to reflect on the below points.

• What can you say to others or yourself to pause, allowing time to reflect when making decisions,
• When can you focus on meeting your love and belonging needs to increase esteem needs,
• Imagine how you can respectfully describe to others your communication preferences to gain the respect you require,
• Consider your role models and what is it about them that you respect to emulate.

 Self Actualisation Needs

• Full use of talents and capabilities
• Self-aware
• Focus on personal growth
• Seek opinions
• Morals
• Values
• Identity

“What a man can be, he must be” Abraham Maslow.

I’m sure if Maslow was researching today, Maslow would say ‘what a person can be, they must be’ which is a great example of how society has had time to be in the self-actualisation platform.

In essence, the very top of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is the pinnacle of all a person can be. It is the space to decide our values, our beliefs, and who we are. To seek and plunge into all that we deem important. Be it a job, a relationship, volunteering, a caregiver, or living an eco-conscious life. The person who works a room (without it being all about them) because they are aware they can make a difference within that environment without imposing their values.  

Additionally, the person who truly feels confident uses this to make decisions like where and how to live or accept oneself just as they are. They are self-motivated to choose their priorities such as running a marathon, setting up a business, or gaining a qualification. 

In simple terms, there is time to experiment with likes and dislikes because other platform needs are met, for now. They have a sense of identity to feel secure and content in their vocation and have a higher acceptance level. Happiness and self of purpose attract the people you want to be surrounded by and accept that others can choose for themselves. 

This is not to say, that people who occupy their self-actualisation find life easy or never experience challenges or struggle with their mental well-being. It is more likely self-actualisation helps to achieve positive well-being because it requires the other four platforms to be stable (stable enough).

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An influential adult who has the space to spend time on this platform role models the potential and endless choices we have. An influential adult who is living their best life radiates positive energy, even in times of distress. It communicates to children, that they too can explore their capabilities.

Furthermore, it allows influential adults to research or learn what will help them feel fulfilled and motivated or even support their self-care. Ever heard of positive psychology? It emphasises on deep satisfaction, not fleeting happiness, and was first developed by Martin Seligman.

As you read the quote below, extend the word ‘family’ with ‘community’ and ‘classroom’, and extend the word ‘parent’ with ‘influential adult’.

“At a family level, positive psychology encourages flourishing families. A bit cliché but true, families that play together stay together. Once again, it seems an obvious point, but positive parents tend to produce positive offspring. Is there a more important role that you’ll ever play?” The Art of Being Brilliant, p14, Andy Cope & Andy Whittaker

Those who occupy their self-actualisation platform are more open, flexible, and honest in adapting to life stressors to meet the needs of self, loved ones, and community. The following points may help when the brain is hanging around this platform.

• Can you use CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy) techniques to consider your perspective is appropriate and proportionate (you can, can’t you?),
• Could you focus on what you can enjoy with family and friends, and life in general by contributing a little along the way (such as spreading your enthusiasm or interests with others),
• It’s good to continue to be curious and have conversations to learn from each other, building connections and relationships,
• It’s even better to use evidence-based research in areas you are interested in e.g. understanding and responding to behaviour or being trauma-informed (well…it could be other exciting interests like tasting cake😁),
• Accept resilience means continuing to look after each platform – it’s moving through the platforms not an end destination.

To Conclude

Maslow cleverly identified that physical and emotional needs must be met. The hierarchy can reflect a minute, a day, or a life experience. As an illustration, evolution highlights when we needed to focus on foraging for food and keeping warm to survive, we were less intelligent or creative. As survival got easier, we began to focus more on our thinking abilities. Just look around where you sit, some very intelligent people invented many useful things that make life easier. What would we do without the internet or a washing machine!

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs interconnects with the Bronfenbrenner Ecological Framework wonderfully. Relationships, community, and society shape, and support the platforms. Choosing healthy approaches to raising children and young people is complex and definitely not easy. It comes with uncertainty and Maslow’s Hierarchy can help to focus on needs that will be child-led.

Michelle x (I’m off to watch Ru Paul Drag Race)