In this latest blog in my series on meeting your psychological needs I am focusing on our need for challenge. 

Not everybody wants to climb Everest, swim the channel or run an ultra-marathon. Some people do these things without thinking, but they are not essential to everybody. When it comes to being creative, which is related to challenge, we don’t all want to become the new Picasso. While it may be true that we all have a novel in us, we might be perfectly happy to keep it there!

However on some level, there is a basic human need to be challenged. If we live a life entirely based on habit, a safe environment, comfort and casual social interaction, over time, it is very likely that our boundaries of what is safe will shift.

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” – Helen Keller.

Returning to this occasional series on the basic psychological needs. Today the focus is on our need for community.

Human beings are essentially social animals. Throughout history, from the earliest times we have lived in groups and depended on each other. This has been part of our success, if we can call it that.

To varying degrees, people need people. One of the basic psychological needs that must be fulfilled to keep you free from depression and anxiety is that  sense of community. More than this it is about making a contribution to others.  Essentially, you need to feel part of something larger than yourself, part a community of people, working for something that has meaning and significance.