To get a clear idea of your emotional and mental state we suggest you do the following:

EXERCISE: review your emotional needs

To do an emotional needs review on yourself and your current life situation you need to be calm, relaxed and able to think clearly and honestly. Each page on this section of the website includes information on a separate need, and samples of the kinds of questions you need to ask yourself about it.

If you find the review too much to do all at once, to make it easier, think carefully about just one or two needs at a time. Work your way through the list over a time period you feel comfortable with, all the while looking for reasonable ways to get as many of your needs met as possible. Remember, no life is going to be perfect and we are designed to tolerate a lot of difficulties.

Perhaps, as you consider the emotional needs listed on the left, you will find that many things are working well, but that one big dissatisfaction is overshadowing the rest. Or you might find that certain needs are getting met but not in the healthiest way for you. You could note down your ideas on how these needs are being met, or not, so you can get a honest picture of how well your emotional needs are currently being fulfilled.

Begin with Security..

Beware of black and white thinking tricking you: if you let your depression do the review, it will probably conclude: “Nothing is working, none of my needs are being met!”. But that is black and white thinking, and is a false perspective of your situation. For a more balanced perspective, you could ask a trusted friend or family member to help you, or talk these innate needs through with a therapist.