It’s FREE to Live a Safer Life
You bought the pepper spray, the personal alarm, the portable door lock.
These are useful tools, but they do not automatically make you safe.
The best kind of personal security is free. A camera can’t protect your home if a back door is left unlocked. A personal alarm can’t help you if it is at the bottom of a bag. Gadgets provide reassurance and can help, but your best protection is learning better safety habits, making smarter decisions, and having some sort of a plan.
Prevention Habits
The free habits are the best ways to be safer. It happens to most people; their cell phone needs charged, cell service drops, plans change. When these things happen, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk:
Exits: Notice the exits anytime you are somewhere new.
Keep your Head on a Swivel: Notice who is around you. Scan your surroundings; be aware of where you are parking, and look around your vehicle before unlocking your car door. Have your keys in hand.
Boundaries: If you become uncomfortable, or if your gut tells you something feels off, don’t question yourself. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. Leave the situation, and if you can, leave with a friend.
Be in Contact: Let a friend or family member know what you are up to. You can have a person to share your location with, or you can let someone know what your plans are. Use your cell phone to keep in touch; if something changes, let your person know. You can even talk to a friend or family member about being each others person.
Adapting as Your Routines Change
When things change in your life, sometimes we can become vulnerable, and not even realize it. Whether it’s a new job, a new living situation, a new partner, there are new variables in your lifestyle. This is a good time to review your safety habits.
Ask yourself, what has changed that I need to evaluate to make sure I am making the best decisions for living a safer life?
A Quick Safety Audit
Choose one part of your day, like your commute to work, or your evening walk, for example. Give some thought to these questions.
What could make this situation safer?
Am I familiar with my surroundings? Do I know street names, and businesses that I pass by frequently?
In an emergency, would I be able to quickly explain where I am?
Do I know my surroundings well enough, that if something changes, I will notice?
The purpose of creating better safety habits is to feel safer, to be more aware, and to reduce your risk of having something happen, that could impact your life. Most people think, nothing will happen, or they live in a “safe” neighborhood , therefore we are safe. Sadly, that’s not the reality. Criminals don’t have a certain look. They can live and work anywhere. This isn’t to scare you, but to help you realize that anything can happen, anywhere. So, what can you do about it?
Take Control
Instead of living in fear, we can implement small habits that become so routine you don’t even realize you are creating a safer environment for yourself. Always locking your front door, back door, all doors. Keeping windows on the first floor closed, and secured. Always closing your garage door. Getting into your car and locking the door. When you are in public and want to wear airpods, only wear one. Choose a parking spot in a well lit area,. Scan your surroundings, and know where exits are, in the event you’d need to leave quickly. Keep enough gas in your car; keep your phone charged, and have an emergency kit in the trunk of your car.
It truly is the little things that matter most to keep you safer. You can have all the gadgets, but if you are caught off guard, it’s going to be hard to have it ready to help you. Use your eyes, ears, and your senses to simply know where you are, who is around you, and what you could do if you are in an emergency situation.
Want to test your knowledge? Check out the safety assessments and see your score. Perhaps you will learn a tip or realize something new, that would be easy to add to your daily routine.
Smart Choices. Safer Living.™
