Walking with safety in mind
This week I’m going to talk about personal safety awareness issues for when you are out walking, jogging, etc.
Now that the weather is getting better, people are spending more time outside along the waterfront, parks or just taking a walk through the community.
When people go by themselves, one common thing I notice is that they wear headphones or earbuds to listen to music. Although this can be motivating for you to pass the time or help give you energy for your jog, I don’t recommend it. When you wear an earpiece of sorts, you are taking away an extremely important sense: your hearing.
Not only are you not alert to noise around you, such as traffic or emergency vehicles/ sirens, you also can’t hear if someone is following you. It also lets others know you aren’t fully paying attention to noise around you and may be too absorbed in the music to notice your surroundings.
I would recommend going with other people whenever possible, which may reduce potential issues or being the target of a crime. Whether you go alone or with friends, you should still let another friend or family member know your route/destination.
If you are approached by someone who demands your money, get away as quickly as possible. If you can’t, take a small amount of money/valuables and throw them in one direction, then quickly escape.
The “robber” will likely take the valuables and leave. If the worst happens, and they try to harm you, be prepared to defend yourself. Most people experience something called “flight or fight.” It’s your body’s way of helping protect you, either by giving you a burst of adrenaline to defend yourself, or to escape to safety.
The following is some things you may experience:
The thinking part of your brain sends an “alarm signal” to the midbrain. The midbrain stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to make changes to the body. The heart rate, blood volume and blood pressure go up. You start to sweat. Your hands and feet get cold. Your diaphragm locks. Your pupils dilate to sharpen your vision. Your hearing becomes more acute.
When your brain stops sending stress triggers to your brain stem, it stops sending panic messages to your nervous system. A few minutes later, the body returns to normal.
I went over these details to better help you understand, and mentally prepare for what you may experience.
The better you understand your body’s reactions to the “flight or fight” response, the better you will be at handling any potential situation.
No matter how prepared you are for anything, or even if you have been through something similar more than once, I still recommend getting to safety. I only recommend defending yourself when you have no other choice.
If that becomes necessary, do whatever you need to defend yourself or someone in your care, but still keep in mind that the minimum amount of force is whatever will let you get to safety. You should not “fight it out.”