Psychological Needs

What Are Psychological Needs?

Psychological needs are a central concept in Edward Deci and Richard Ryan's Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Just as food and water are essential for physical health, psychological needs are the inner nutrients essential for mental health and growth.

The Three Basic Psychological Needs

Let Mindy walk you through each one:

Autonomy

The feeling that your actions and choices are self-directed. What matters is the sense that you are acting according to your own values and interests, rather than being driven by external pressure.

Competence

The feeling that you are interacting effectively with your environment and expressing your abilities. Appropriate challenges and experiences of achievement help build competence.

Relatedness

Forming meaningful connections with others and feeling a sense of belonging and closeness. The feeling of loving and being loved is at the heart of relatedness.

What Happens When Psychological Needs Go Unmet?

When these three basic needs are persistently frustrated, a range of psychological difficulties can emerge:

Connection to Mental Health

Understanding your psychological needs is the starting point for self-care. If you have been feeling unmotivated or empty lately, try checking which of the three needs might be lacking. Exercising even small choices for yourself, finding a sense of achievement in things you can do, and sharing your heart with someone you care about — these are all ways Mindy encourages you to nourish your mental well-being.