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What Are Fundamental Needs for Better Quality of Life?
When you think about your fundamental needs, what comes to mind? At first, you might consider basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. However, fundamental needs are dynamic, encompass so much more, and will continue to evolve over time.
Fundamental needs are the things that everyone requires to live a healthy and fulfilling life and to support overall well-being. To simplify a bit, they include:
Physical Health
This includes getting enough sleep, eating nutritious food, and staying active as well as regular check-ups and listening to your body.
Emotional Well-Being
Taking care of your mental health is just as important. This includes but isn’t limited to managing stress, practicing self-compassion, and finding what brings you joy. Taking care of emotional well-being can take practice. Practicing relaxation can help tremendously, and your Kaia program includes mindfulness exercises, progressive muscle relaxation sessions, and breathing techniques that are geared toward addressing some of the psychological aspects of pain and decreasing stress and tension.
Social Connection
Developing meaningful relationships is a pillar to well-being. And building and maintaining a support network can provide comfort, reduce feelings of isolation, strengthen your immune system and make you more resilient to stress. This is why a community like PatientsLikeMe is such a valuable resource!
Sense of Purpose
Having goals and something to work toward can give you a feeling of accomplishment, direction, and overall satisfaction in life.
Although this list won’t encompass all the different aspects of fundamental needs, focusing on the ones that do resonate and working on them can improve your quality of life and help you manage your condition more effectively.
Learning to pay attention to what you need at the moment is a skill, and it takes practice. Every time you slow down and take notice of where you might be lacking to meet a need, you are gaining a new skill. And remember, you never have to do it alone. Seek help from a trusted professional if you are struggling to do it on your own.
Simplifying Your Approach To Identify Your Fundamental Needs for Better Quality of Life
For those with chronic pain, addressing fundamental needs might seem overwhelming. Here are some ways to simplify the process:
Break it Down
Focus on one need at a time. For example, if managing physical health and wellness is a priority, start by setting small, achievable goals like incorporating gentle exercises or tracking your symptoms.
Set Realistic Goals
Establish practical and attainable goals that fit within your daily routine and align with your values. This could mean scheduling regular check-ins with healthcare providers, a coach, or even setting aside time for relaxation techniques.
Seek Support
Don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Whether it's from friends, family, or support groups, sharing your challenges and receiving support can make managing your needs easier.
Building Confidence
You can build confidence in prioritizing your needs with some simple tools:
Practice Self-Awareness
Work to regularly assess what you need. Listen to your body and tune into emotions to understand what will best support you and your well-being.
Celebrate Small Wins
Acknowledge and celebrate progress, no matter how small! Small achievements matter, and recognizing them can boost your confidence and motivation.
Stay Flexible
Your needs may change, and that’s okay. It can be important to pivot with how life shows up for you! Be adaptable and willing to adjust your approach as needed to meet your unique needs.
By simplifying your approach and building confidence in managing your needs, you can create more balance and fulfillment in your life while navigating the challenges of chronic pain.
Taking Action
Now that you have a clearer understanding of your fundamental needs and how to prioritize them, how can you put these insights into practice? One Idea is to select one unmet need to focus on this week. Set a small, achievable goal related to that need, and share your progress with our community.
How Kaia Health Can Help
Kaia’s app pairs the expertise of clinician-designed exercise therapy with the convenience of a mobile app to get you on the road to recovery on your terms. Kaia Health coaches are here to support you at every step of your health journey.
Our dedicated Health coaches are passionate about meeting and supporting you where you are at. If you are interested in learning more about Kaia Health you can sign up here!
