Occupation and well-being

ANNA MARIA MORA

Part 1

“In our society there is no single situation which is potentially so capable of giving some satisfactions at all levels of basic needs as is the occupation”
– Anne Roe, clinical psychologist, The Psychology of Occupations, p31 1956

ANNE ROE used Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to explain the relationship between an occupation and community-mindedness. Our basic needs have us working for money for what we need. Our focus at this very basic level is our need for water, food and necessities for life and living. Then, when our hunger and other urgent needs are taken care of, there is our need for that feeling of safety and protection.

Lying on a bed at night and looking up at our roof satisfy these needs. Then there are savings, pension and being able to purchase clothing, pay the rent or purchase a home or a car. As these needs are met comfortably, love and belonging and esteem needs come into focus. How are these related to our occupation or our work?

Roe found that being needed and welcomed by peers and superiors and working with a group which welcomes and values us add to our sense of self-esteem. Esteem needs include pride in having done a job well, being independent, responsible, admired by our co-workers and freedom to be our best self.

We must realise that having these basic needs satisfied is the strong foundation on which optimum mental health flourishes.

Interestingly, Maslow described these basic needs as deficit needs. We know that when we have a deficit in our bank account we are in trouble financially. Therefore, it is obvious that if we have a deficit in satisfying our basic needs, our mental health will be compromised.

The best way to realise our sense of self, or our purpose for walking this Earth, is for our basic needs to be satisfied. Then we feel good about ourselves and understand our purpose because we are not hungry and eking out an existence. We feel safe, are admired by our peers and belong somewhere. We are now ready to grow and our (many of us know the term) self-actualisation needs are activated.

At this point in the formation of our personality we feel the need to fulfil and develop our abilities and potential. We recognise our talents and our true selves emerge. This is why these needs are called growth needs. Maslow listed them as (1) to discover truth, (2) to create beauty, (3) to produce order, and (4) to promote justice.

There is another level which he labels transcendence needs which are our need to participate in community, to contribute to mankind and to share our talents and gifts to make the society in which we live a better place. At this point we are mentally healthy and are able to help others to develop their sense of self, and work to achieve set goals.

Please note in the deficit needs the preposition used is “for.” We are only focused on self because we are hungry and have “the need for.” After those basic needs are met, the preposition changes. It becomes “to.” Our mental health is now at a point where we are focused on our need to develop our abilities and talents and help others to so do.

I would like to speak to our parents and grandparents at this point. In days gone by our parents demanded that we “get a work with the Government.” Today many young people are going through tertiary education to achieve their sense of purpose, but are being asked: “Why allyuh worrying wid dat?” “All yuh need to go and get ah work/job and help pay the bills and put food on the table.”

I hope that you all realise that getting a government job and working at that one job until retirement is no longer guaranteed.

Anna Maria Mora is a counselling psychologist

Part 2 on Wednesday