There are lots of ways to improve your personal security and safety, but many of the suggestions found online require investing a lot of money and time. Those items have their place, but the focus of this article is what the average person can do on an average day with an average amount of time. You can start implementing any and all of these suggestions today.
1. Practice Good Situational Awareness
Always be aware of what is going on around you to at least some small extent. When you first enter a new location – coffee shop, grocery store, playground – take a look around. What do you see? Is everyone here behaving in a normal way that matches the location? Is there anything or anyone here that feels wrong?
With practice, good situational awareness becomes second nature and requires less mental energy. It starts to become a process that is just running in the background of your brain.
The single best way to improve your situational awareness is to put down the cell phone in public. If you need to use to communicate, or do a quick Google search, just make sure you are standing still – not walking and texting – and keep it short.
If you are using a computer, break your eyes away from the screen every once and a while to re-scan your environment. Who’s new? What’s changed?
2. Build a Strong Community Network
Life is meant to be lived in community. We are not solitary creatures and no one is going to make it on their own in this world for long – at least not in a healthy way. So develop healthy relationships – this is too often an underutilized way to improve your personal security.
This is not limited to your immediate friends and family, although they should be primary. Get to know the baristas at your favorite coffee shop. Make small talk with the mechanics where you get your vehicle serviced. You will be surprised by the way life can be made easier when you are kind, friendly, and take an interest in others. They will respond in kind.
Building a strong community network in your neighborhood is also a great way to expand your situational awareness.
3. Develop an Emergency Plan
When crisis happens and our stress levels are high it is incredibly hard to regulate ourselves enough to make good choices. So do your emergency planning before you need it.
Some examples to plan for are:
- Who will you call if you have a vehicle accident or breakdown? Do you insurance numbers and information in your car and phone?
- How will your family or roommates evacuate the house incase of a fire? Where will you meet to know everyone made it out?
- In case of a multi-day power outage in the winter, what will you do? Stay home? Go to a relative’s?
I suggest having these conversations with those you live with and putting together a document that everyone can keep on their phone or in a drawer near the door for quick access. Or you can work through an emergency planning booklet. Hopefully it never happens, but if it does you will be so grateful you planned ahead.
4. Check Your Tools and Gear Regularly
Your emergency tools and gear will only be helpful in an emergency if they are in good condition. If you go to grab a flashlight during a power outage and the batteries are dead, you’re just adding to the stress of the situation. If you get a flat tire by running over a screw on the way to the airport and never checked to make sure the spare tire was inflated you’re going to miss your flight.
Here are some starting suggestions:
- Don’t keep batteries inside your flashlight unless you use it regularly. Instead, tape them to the side. They will keep their charge longer and still be close to hand when you need them.
- Check your spare tire every six months or so and make sure it is topped up on air.
- If you use a power bank for your phone, make sure to charge it regularly.
- Check expiration dates on food in your pantry and whenever you buy a new, duplicate item place it in the back. Follow a “first in, first out” policy so you don’t end up with random expired jars in the back of the shelf or cupboard.
- Unpack and repack your EDC – what needs to come out or be added? Is everything in good condition?
5. Practice
All the tools, techniques, and plans you put together to improve your personal security are only helpful if you’re able to use them well when the emergency happens. When stress levels are high, it will be harder to think clearly and remember what you are supposed to do.
So practice – sharpen the axe.
Do a walk through of your fire escape plan once or twice a year. Talk about it over dinner occasionally with the family.
Check your batteries and keep them in an easily accessible place that you can find in the dark.
Go change a tire on your car this Saturday for practice. Do you have all the tools? Is the spare tire in good condition?
Conclusion
Working to improve your personal security doesn’t have to be expensive, intense, or require specialized training. Personal security is about being prepared for what life brings, so that we can care well for others. So take some time to go through these measures and I guarantee you’ll feel more confident and capable to handle life’s challenges.
Next Steps:
For more practical advice on improving your personal security, check out our Security Tips page.
