Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs 1 of 5

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

This pyramid shows the classic theory of motivations and needs a healthy humans move through. Below the image I will focus my commentary on the foundation level as it includes the most important needs and should be met first.

The most fundamental physiological needs are the base of the pyramid, shown here in yellow. This level includes breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. Without these basic needs satisfied, a person's body will stop working and he or she cannot move up to the next level.

 

Let's break these down.

1. Breathing. Duh, right? Without oxygen does anything else really matter?  A person should be in an environment where clean, pollution-free air allows for proper gas exchange in the lungs.  See more information on healthy air at the American Lung Association website. Bad habits like smoking, should be avoided. If lung or sinus problems persist like asthma, COPD, allergies, cystic fibrosis, bronchitis, emphysema, etc. please seek help from a medical doctor to manage your symptoms. Help others with breathing issues by clicking here for ways to volunteer. If you have more money than time, consider donating in several ways. This subject is dear to my heart as my ex-husband nearly died from a severe asthma attack and anaphylactic shock. He chose to expose himself to a known allergen in an unsafe environment and miraculously survived, but it was a risk that could have taken his life and left me widowed and two small children. My son also has asthma and I encourage him to take medications that prevent the symptoms of asthma so he doesn't need his rescue inhaler. I also worked at one of the best hospitals in the nation on the pulmonary unit and saw the effects of cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, COPD, etc. first hand. There are no cures, but the diseases are manageable.

 

2. Food. Any food will keep someone alive I suppose but we should make every effort to eat healthy meals and snacks. I've been reading weight loss stories in magazines and the pattern that led people to gain weight was eating out and especially fast food. This is where I'm guilty. I love Coke and Pepsi, and they help me stay at work when I rotate schedules. Plus I just love the taste. I have given it up for months but can't seem to keep it out of my life, especially when my job as an RN becomes exhausting way before my shift is over.

 

3. There is so much evidence to support the importance of drinking enough water daily. According to WebMD, water helps maintain the balance of body fluids, water can help control calories, water helps energize muscles, water helps keep skin looking good, water helps your kidneys and maintain normal bowl function. Fits.com lists these benefits for drinking water: it keeps you young, it helps you lose weight, it makes you smarter, it's good for your joints.

 

4. Sex is used for procreation and the propagation of the species. It also feels awesome and has health benefits. WebMD lists some of these benefits. Sex keeps your immune system running. Sexually active people take fewer sex days. It boosts your libido. If you want to have better sex, have more sex. Sex improves women's bladder control. Sex lowers your blood pressure. Sex counts as exercise. Sex lowers heart attack risk. Sex lessens pain. Sex lowers the risk of prostrate cancer. Sex improves sleep and lessens stress. And may I add it's fun and is extremely pleasurable.

 

5. Sleep. I don't need any convincing that sleep is awesome. Sleep improves your memory and reinforces new tasks you learned. This is why I did my homework right before bed. The concepts you have just studied will be programmed into your brain while you sleep. Lack of sleep can extend your life and add to the quality of your life. Adequate sleep curbs inflammation. Sleep spurs the creativity in you. Sleep improves athletic performance. Sleep helps improve your grades and sharpens your attention. Makes sense that children, adolescents and young adults should be getting well over 8 hours of sleep. Sleep helps you maintain a healthy weight. Sleep lowers your stress. Adequate sleep helps you avoid accidents. Sleep may keep depression at bay. (click here for info).

6. Homeostasis can mean regulation of body or environmental temperature. the balance of calories in and calories out, the value of blood values like electrolytes. The following diagram is fun to look at.

 

7. Lastly, excretion. Excretion is the process through which bodies naturally remove waste through a variety of means, including defecation, urination and perspiration. Similar to homeostasis, excretion is another basic human need that improves as the body becomes healthier.