Repurposing Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

What is this tool?

Homage to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

As with most foundational psychologists, Maslow is not without criticism.

That said, all I really know about him is that an article he wrote, "A Theory of Human Motivation" (1943) was used to create the pyramidal hierarchy of needs graphic that I know and love today.

Learn to practice Bottom-Up Body Scans

1. START reflecting at Layer 1: Physical Survival

Have you eaten recently? Thirsty? Running on 5 hrs of sleep?

Uh-oh! Sounds like this level might be "UNSTABLE"

Remember: if your basic physical needs are not met, you will be less able to perform tasks in the higher levels of the hierarchy. Not because there's something wrong with you, but because your foundation is not stable. PLEASE let go of expectations for Layers 4, 5, and 6 for the day.

2. CONTINUE reflecting through each level, to assess which physiological needs you might want to focus on fulfilling for the day!

There's nothing worse than spending a whole day trying to solve the wrong problem.

Neurodivergent-Friendly Visual Validation & Prioritization Tool:

Sometimes the brain is like "no, I won't be doing that right now or ever, thanks for asking."

The built-in visualization for marking a level "unstable," (where the upper layers become faded and get a red border) validates that visceral feeling of "I can't even..."

This tool isn't about trying to have a perfect pyramid every day; it’s merely an assessment tool to practice finding the stressor that is impacting your nervous system.

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Let me know how this lands with you... I am considering this tool a WIP (work-in-progress)