Understand Your Core Emotional Needs to Transform Anxiety, Stress & Self-Doubt: When you feel anxious, stuck, or overwhelmed, the real problem might not be what you think. Your emotional distress often connects to basic psychological needs that are not being met.
In this guide—and accompanying video—you’ll learn: ✅ What your 12 Core Needs are
✅ How unmet needs drive emotional reactivity
✅ Why identifying your needs is the first step in creating emotional change
🎥 Watch the full video: Understanding Core Needs
What Are Core Psychological Needs?
Core needs are the essential emotional experiences to feel good and thrive. They are not just luxuries but essential for healthy growth, strong relationships, and the ability to bounce back from challenges.
You feel grounded, safe, and connected when your needs are met. When they’re not, it can show up as:
- Anxiety 😟
- Anger 😠
- Numbness 😶
- Perfectionism 🧩
- People-pleasing 🤝
- Emotional shutdown 🧊
This video and post will help you understand these needs and show you how they affect your daily life.
The 12 Core Emotional Needs
Here’s a snapshot of the 12 Core Needs we explore in the video:
- Safety & Calm – Feeling secure and free from threat
- Strength & Agency – Trusting your capacity to act
- Belonging – Feeling accepted and included
- Worth & Value – Knowing that you matter
- Control & Autonomy – Having a say in your life
- Purpose & Meaning – Feeling like your life matters
- Approval & Validation – Feeling seen, heard, and respected
- Stability & Predictability – Trusting that life is manageable
- Joy & Playfulness – Experiencing fun and freedom
- Care & Nurturance – Receiving emotional support
- Gratitude & Accomplishment – Feeling proud of your growth
- Overcoming Hardship – Knowing you can handle adversity.
Understanding your feelings helps you know why you feel the way you do. It also shows you how to meet your needs in healthy and empowering ways.
Why This Matters for Healing & Growth
Our emotions often show us that we have unmet needs. This isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a clue that something important is being overlooked. When our basic needs are unmet, they can influence how we think, react, and respond physically.
Understanding your needs is like putting together a puzzle. It is the first step in changing old habits and creating a feeling of safety within yourself.
Next Steps: Learn to Foster Your Needs
Once you understand your needs, learning how to cultivate them daily is the next step.
👉 Watch the follow-up video: Fostering Your Core Needs
📘 Prefer a written guide? Here’s the companion blog post: How to Cultivate Your Core Needs
Free Resources & One-on-One Support
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📌 If this helped you, please share the video and comment below:
💬 Which core need do you resonate with most right now
