As humans, individuals have some emotions and expectations that direct their everyday behavior. It’s difficult to do the same task with the same intensity every day as our emotional state is not stagnant. Fluctuation in emotions is normal, but when frequency of emotions change becomes too high this leads to emotional imbalance.
The main cause of an imbalance in emotional state can be the unfulfilled emotional needs of an individual. The deeper the needs the higher the impact. Emotional needs refer to feelings or conditions that humans need to feel happy, loved, and satisfied.
Types of Emotional Needs:
1) Security:
In Maslow’s need hierarchy theory, Safety and security come under basic human needs. This means humans want to feel safe in the environment they live in, such as no physical or emotional danger. When people observe or identify any sign of such danger all their emotions and efforts are directed toward reducing or stopping it. This affects the imbalances in the homeostasis state of the human mind. So if a person wants to function well and be in balance they require a safe environment to live.
Also Read: How Emotions Play an Important Role in Decision-Making
2) Purpose:
Humans are curious by nature and what they want is answers to all their questions. People who have found their purpose or reason to live seem more sorted than people who are still on this journey of purpose. Knowing the purpose of life is about knowing what to do and where one wants to reach a destination. People who are unaware of this feel a sort of emptiness or lack of zeal in their daily lives. This can affect a person’s productivity directly as they don’t get to indulge or participate in tasks full-heartedly. This missing ‘why’ easily distracts them from their expected path.
3) Intimacy:
Humans are social animals they need some emotional bond with other creatures. People with a good few close bonds feel much more emotionally satisfied than people who do not. Sometimes high expectations of the individual ruin a good relationship.
So while people are in intimate relationships where they exchange their close emotions, they must keep a reality check on their expectations.
Also Read: The Pathologization of Female Emotions
4) Privacy:
Every person what to spend some time with their inner self or wants some time for self-reflection. When they don’t get it, they experience a sense of tension or burnout. To be in a calm state one must balance their emotional energy and this can happen only when they get some good time or quality time with themselves. In families where family members often interfere, people find it difficult to balance their emotions which leads to anger issues.
5) Status:
Status is closely connected with Self-esteem. As members of a group, individuals want to feel important. They want to feel a sense of power like they create some change or contribute to the group in any way. This makes them feel desirable in the group and they feel connected with the group as they feel happy and loved.
6) Attention:
Everybody wants to be special and that’s ok to feel. The irony is people want to be unique, but at the same time what they desire is approval of their surroundings. Practically, it’s not possible all the time to be the center of attention. As humans, people can be the center of attention for their close ones and when they receive it they feel a sense of fulfillment. Whereas when they do not receive it, they feel unwanted.
Also Read: Why Do Men Hide Their Emotions?
7) Control:
People feel safe in an environment where they feel they have a control. This means they can exit anytime, or people around them will behave in accordance with expectations.
When an individual feels the situation is not in their control they can feel helpless. Before they are feeling so, they must first understand what they are trying to control is actually in their hand. If not, then it’s better to control their emotions and response.
8) Community and Accomplishment
The community provides a greater reason to live and brings a sense of belongingness. Being in a Community can make the person feel stronger. Community is a smaller part of society and working for this makes you feel happy. Accomplishment is about a sense of pride. This increases a person’s status in the community. Accomplishment increases worth in character.
What happens when these Emotional needs are not fulfilled:
- It affects a person’s happiness and life satisfaction level.
- It affects their performance in the workplace and daily life activities.
- It disturbs their close relationship.
- A person can prefer to be alone as the feeling of being low in status makes them stressed.
- People can feel helpless and expect others to behave as they want them to do.
- Less attention can make them feel unworthy.
- Less privacy can make them feel suffocating.
- A person can overreact to the situation as they feels unsafe.
What will work for fulfilling emotional needs-
1) For safety:
People can make themselves more ready to face challenges with confidence. Also, be more attentive to their surroundings so that they can track any unpleasant experience. Being observant is the ultimate solution in this situation.
2) For Purpose:
The person should spend time in self-reflection and also behave patiently in this process. The right thing will come at on Right time. Also, it’s a saying that when a student is ready teacher appears.
3) For intimacy:
A person should have less expectations from others and more effort towards communicating their feelings to the close ones. It’s a trial and error process so it’s better not to judge their behaviour. Take it as a learning. Talking openly with the close ones can lead to a better level of intimacy.
4) For Privacy:
Privacy is much more about a person one perception of their situation. Privacy is completely subjective. A person can introspect and what they want to do and how they want to utilize their privacy.
5) For Status:
A person first feels positive about themselves and does something meaningful in the family or in life. Also, good behavior contributes to status. A combination of these can enhance the status in the group.
6) For attention:
Action speaks louder than work. To get positive attention people can do things that make them special. Taking your responsibilities seriously and working towards that makes you special in your own way. So doing what is expected and needed brings others’ attention to the person.
7) For control:
A person can first make a list of things which is in his control. Then work on things that. This can make them feel more active, worthy and contented.
8) For the community:
Participate in community activities and work for people who are in need or deprived. This will enhance their sense of self and make them feel great because of their grateful act. Being grateful to the community and helping the community to Conti this chain of help.
9) For accomplishment:
people can appreciate their past actions and efforts. Being polite to themselves. It brings a healing effect on a person.
All these emotional needs are interrelated. The impact of change in one need can be seen in another. Person has to keep a check on his or her need to feel happy and good.
