Satisfying the Body's Needs
Do you ever get the feeling that you need something extra in your life? I'm not just talking about partners or sexual desires, I'm talking about the drives which still leave you feeling restless even thought you think all the bases are covered. Keeping the body happy isn't as straight forward as most people like to imagine. There are the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter of course, but there are also the four groups of stimulation; mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. Although you may not realise it, everything you do will be in some way linked to stimulating/alleviating one of these four areas, and the more needs you manage to stimulate during the day, the happier your body will be. Here are a few quick examples to demonstrate:

Activity

Alleviates Need

TV (Mental), (Emotional)
Walking Physical
Driving Mental
Hate (negative) Emotional, (Mental)
Greed (negative) Emotional, (Mental)
Eating Physical, (Emotional)
Drinking Physical, (Emotional)
Prayer Spiritual, (Emotional)
Shopping Mental, Emotional
Sex Physical, Emotional
Sport/Exercise Physical, Mental
Cooking Physical, Mental
Meditation Mental, Spiritual
Religion Mental, Spiritual
Riding a bike Physical, Mental
Cleaning Physical, Mental
Dancing Physical, (Emotional, Spiritual)
Friendship Mental, Emotional, (Spiritual)
Reading Mental, Emotional, (Spiritual)
Yoga Physical, Mental, (Spiritual)
Talking Mental, Emotional, (Spiritual)
Playing Music Mental, Emotional, (Spiritual)
Gardening Physical, Mental, (Emotional, Spiritual)
Resting/Sleeping Physical, Mental, Emotional
Compassion Mental, Emotional, Spiritual
Love Mental, Emotional, Spiritual
Raising Children Physical, Mental, Emotional, (Spiritual)


So by filling your day with many varied activities, the more chance you will have of keeping the body happy and healthy. Of course, there are more than just these four areas; there is also the need to stimulate the senses; and psychological needs as well, but these are mostly taken care of as we make our way through each day. There is also the problem of sexual needs; which cannot be alleviated by any other means except sexual acts themselves.

As you can see from the list, most of us are already helping to satisfy the body with every small task we set out to do - but is this enough to solve the satisfaction problem? In quite a few cases, unless you live a very full mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually fulfilling week, the overal answer could be NO! When do you get time to... do the gardening, play music, go dancing, practice exercise, drink a beer? Probably only in your spare time, eh? The rest of the day is spent either sleeping, resting, or watching TV, (all of which only help the bodys need to relax), eating and, most often of all, working. So lets take a look at your job. The time spent at work is the second largest period (after sleeping) spent doing one task. If this task is productive then it can stimulate the body greatly; if not, then it is time wasted. After browsing the list below, think about your own career and how it stimulates you.


Now take a closer look at your day. Perhaps most of your day is taken up by a job which specialises in one particular area; often it will be either your brain or your physical strength which gets the attention. Some jobs don't even manage this much, leaving you in a mind-knumbing deadlock which only talking or 'switching off' can seem to cure. Even the enjoyable activities you looked at earlier are nothing except temporary solutions to the problem, and need to be used quite regularly if you are to get any kind of satisfaction from them. Are you an excessive talker, drinker, shopper, day-dreamer, gambler, smoker, eater, dancer, clubber, or sleeper? Do you crave sexual pleasures, watch too much TV or read too many books of fiction? Are you a compulsive collector? Do you hanker after material luxuries and gadgets in the hope of making life more interesting? These are the signs of need deprivation; there are cures! Think about what you need....

Mental Need Deprevation

Easily becoming bored, craving gossip, excessive use of the TV/music, reading fiction, day-dreaming.

Physical Need Deprevation

Over sleeping, lethargy, lack of motivation, excessive body movement (dancing/rushing around), agressive behaviour, workaholic.

Emotional Need Deprevation

Excessive eating, excessive drinking, excessive smoking, excessive shopping, gambling, cravings for sex, driving too fast, compulsion to hoard/collect objects, collecting gossip, reading gossip magazines/newspapers, lack of self love.

Spiritual Need Deprevation

Cravings for material possesions, cravings for money/power, self-serving attitude, lack of compassion, lacks love of life, feeling like life is being wasted, feeling empty inside.


Is this you? If so, what are the cures?
Mental need is an easy one - Learn! Take up a new hobby which involves exploring or researching something you are interested in. As a result, you will begin to pick-up and read more factual or educational books. Even changing your choice of newspaper, or using the computer instead of the TV can make a difference. As soon as you begin to learn again (especially if you decide to go back to college and begin a course), you will feel like you are getting somewhere - you are moving forward towards something - and your brain will begin to feel the benefits straight away.

Physical cures are also easy to come by. Exercise is the most obvious one. Visiting a sports club, playing tennis or swimming can be an instant tonic one day per week. Yoga, martial arts, boxing, running, gardening - even housework can give your heart and lungs something to exercise on. If you decide to go it alone with your exercise, you may find you loose interest and then beat yourself up for not doing anything. By joining a club or exercising with a partner, you are more than twice as likely to keep it up and feel the benefits. The simplest exercise of all is walking. Walk in the fresh open air for at least an hour each week and you'll notice a difference. Spending a day outdoors each week or a few times a month will oxygenate the blood and clear your mind and body of toxins - instantly making you feel much better!

Emotional cures are less easily found. One of the best ways to satisfy this need is through charity work - although this can take up your free time. Visiting hospitals to chat to patients, counselling, or joining a 'womens' group are suitable - if extreme - options. A much easier way would be to join any kind of club or organization which involves meeting and talking to people. Again, you will find this if you take up a hobby or interest which involves something you can practice and talk about together. Seeing shows, plays and going to the theatre work much better than watching TV. Music concerts, fairs and festivals will all help - and will get you out and about at the same time.

If you find you need some kind of spiritual upliftment, there are more things available than you might think. Spiritual concerns are all around us in this New Age, and there are no shortage of interesting avenues to explore. Yoga and meditation will keep your mind and body fit as well as open the door to Buddhism and Eastern Philosophy. Using Reiki, Healing Crystals, Tarot cards or Astrology can lead you to explore New Age philosophy or Spiritualism. All the holy books can give very helpful advise and an insight into the divine - and through these you will discover temples and churches. If you don't feel drawn to a religion as such, there is always philosophy, theosophy, and books filled with personal insights and wise advice for the student of life.


So whats the point? Simple! If you feel mentally healthy, physically fit, emotionally balanced and spiritually funliled, you will feel happier and more content within yourself. You will gain more enthusiasm, more motivation, more satisfaction, and are less likely to let temporary aleviators rule your day. You will feel like you are making the most of the world, rather than feeling the world is making the most of YOU!!


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