It is easy to get distracted during the holidays and ignore your personal safety. There is so much going on to prepare for visitors or for a trip, that it’s easy to forget to keep your personal safety always in mind. I’ll give you a few tips on how to stay safe during the holidays.
Be aware of your surroundings
Engrain in your mind that danger can jump out from around the corner at any time, so you need to be aware of your surroundings always. As you are putting groceries in the car or unloading kids from the car at the holiday parade, constantly scan your surroundings. Don’t let more than 12 seconds go by without having a look around. Doing this allows time to react to the coming danger. Of course, your reaction depends on the actual situation and your defense skills. But just those few seconds of warning may be the difference that allows you to get away or protect yourself and your family. Stay vigilant!
Carry a self-defense tool and know how to use it
Self-defense tools come in a variety of options, from pepper spray to tasers to firearms for those properly trained and fit to carry. All of these defense tools are great, as long as you know how to use them and are prepared to use them. Take classes and practice, practice, practice as much as possible so your reactions are second nature. Training also helps you to not lose your self-defense tool to your attacker if they are able to get close to you. Practice helps you learn to stop a potential threat from getting close enough to do damage.
Don’t carry large amounts of cash
By now, most people have heard the term ‘jugging’. If not, jugging is when criminals follow a person from the bank and rob them. Depending on the situation, the robbery could turn into physical injury to the victim. Avoid this simply by not carrying large amounts of cash, especially during holidays. This is a very easy thing to do in our modern world by using credit cards or our phones to pay. If your credit card is stolen, fraudulent charges are usually easy to reverse. If cash is stolen, there is no getting it back. Don’t become a victim of hugging.
Don’t make yourself a target
Have you ever heard of the rules of stupid or Farnam’s Law of self-defense? Basically, it means, do not go to stupid places, with stupid people, at stupid times, and do stupid things. Breaking two or more of these rules will likely lead to trouble. For example, you go to a holiday concert in the city, chat with your friends and family afterward, and end up there well after midnight. You decide that it’s a nice night, so you’ll walk the eight blocks to the parking lot where you left your car. On your way, two people creep out from the corner, attack, and take your valuables, injuring you in the meantime. In this example, two rules were broken – a stupid place at a stupid time. With this in mind, the right decision would be to call for a ride or just don’t go out in the city streets late at night.
Ultimately, you are responsible for your own safety. Don’t rely on someone else to save you if you break the rules of stupid or not. Avoid dangerous situations and make sure you are prepared to defend yourself should it become necessary.
