I probably don’t have to tell you the world is becoming a scary place. Whether you live in a large city or a small town there are victims of crime every day.
I live in a small rural town, and just a few months ago there was a shooting. I man was shooting at his girlfriend from who was trying to leave a bad situation. He shot her multiple times and shot into a pharmacy. An acquaintance of mine was leaving work, and he saw the bullets flying he hit the floor, the bullet missed him by inches. If I hadn’t seen the bullet he would have been shot. That’s what I call situational awareness.
So many times we have tunnel vision. Our face is in our phone, or we just want to get to where we’re going. We end up focusing our efforts and energy somewhere else, rather than on what’s around us.
Without realizing it, we don’t pay attention to things around us. Just today, my daughter told me about a situation at the grocery store that broke my heart. In the parking lot at the grocery store, she saw an older woman walking her small dog on the grass. Just as she turned her head she saw a large dog, jump from a vehicle and run towards the women and attacking her dog, killing it. Thankfully the woman was not hurt.
My husband is ex-military and has always talked about situational awareness. It’s the ability to understand and react to your surroundings. It involves perceiving potential hazards, understanding their significance, and then making informed decisions to ensure safety. This skill is crucial for navigating everyday situations. And, it’s becoming more important in today’s world to respond effectively to threats and unexpected events.
Here’s a breakdown of key aspects, hopefully, it will help someone.
- Perception:
Observe your surroundings:
Pay attention to your environment, including people, objects, and events.
Identify potential hazards:
Look for anything that could pose a risk, like unusual behavior, suspicious activity, or unsafe conditions.
Use all your senses:
Don’t rely on sight, be aware of sounds, and smells.
Limit distractions:
Minimize distractions, don’t have your face in your phone all the time, and stay away from devices that have excessive noise to stay focused.
2. Comprehension:
Understand the situation:
Analyze what you perceive and determine if there is a potential threat or hazard.
Consider the context:
Think about the environment, the people involved, and the potential consequences of the situation.
Recognize patterns:
Identify any unusual or out-of-place behaviors or situations
3. Action:
Make informed decisions:
Based on your perception and understanding, decide on the best course of action.
Choose appropriate responses:
Determine how to react to the situation, whether it’s avoiding a potential threat, seeking help, or taking other necessary steps.
Act quickly and decisively:
Don’t hesitate to take action when needed to ensure your safety or the safety of others.
4. Developing Situational awareness:
Practice mindfulness:
Be present in the moment and pay attention to your surroundings.
Trust your intuition:
Listen to your gut feeling when something doesn’t seem right.
Identity escape routes:
Know the exits and safe areas in your environment. Sit facing the door, sit on the end so you can be close to the exit.
Review your surroundings:
Periodically assess your environment and identify potential hazards.
Limit distractions:
Avoid distractions like phones or electronic devices as well as noises as much as possible.
By developing these skills, you can enhance your ability to perceive, understand, and respond effectively to your surroundings. This ultimately improves your safety and well-being. Its like drawing a mental map that helps us understand where we are.
I’m not saying it will always keep you safe, but in today’s world everything we can do will help.
A lack of situational awareness leads us to a state of situational stupidity, which consists of maintaining a thoughtless and/or ignorant position in which we do not take into account the environmental factors to make decisions. We run the risk of disconnecting from reality and acting on unrealizable desires and irrational expectations.
From Pity to Praise 