As much as we want it to be, this world is not a safe place. Not everyone is trust worthy. Joy here and I just took a Women's Self Defense Class and it was extremely eye opening and helpful! While I highly recommend you take a self defense class in your community, I wanted to share some of the tips I learned from my class. These simple things are simply too important to keep to myself. Share this with a girlfriend who could benefit from the tips.
#1. Sleep with your car keys by your bed.
If you hear a strange sound inside or outside your home at night you wake up in fear. In a moment like this it would be ideal to have a security system, but most of us don't. So pushing the alarm button on your car key fob will not only bring attention to your home, but will also scare anyone inside or outside into leaving! It's simple but could truly help if you get freaked out in the middle of the night.
#2. If you have a garage, lock the door from the garage to your home when you leave and at night.
Garages are more easily broken into than homes. You do not want to allow someone easy access to your home by getting into your garage. It's also easy to leave your garage open when you are working in the yard to enjoying a Saturday at home but it's important to still not grant someone easy access to the inside of your home.
#3. Get a motion detecting light for outside your home.
If someone is outside your home at night, this will allow you to easily see them and could scare a potential burglar away. The more light the better when you are trying to see what is happening outside.
#4. When you are walking to your car in a parking lot DO NOT be on your phone.
Being alert is the number one thing that will keep you from looking like an easy victim or target. Texting is the worst thing to do while walking to your car because you are not looking around at your surroundings. If you are in the midst of a phone call keep your eyes scanning left to right and make eye contact with anyone you see. Make mental notes of anyone hanging around or anything that seems off.
#5. Make conversations with anyone who makes you nervous and look them in the eye.
Feel like someone is following you? Notice someone near your parked car who is acting strange? Look them in the eye and say something like, "Can I help you?" "Are you lost?" "Nice day isn't it?" It may sound odd, but simply engaging them and looking them in the eye removes any element of surprise they may have planned on using. Directly addressing them also makes you seem like less of an easy target.
#6. If you have a garage, watch your garage door close all the way to the ground before pulling away.
One of the most common ways burglars will enter homes is by waiting for you to leave in the morning. (They often study your schedule if they are planning to rob your home.) When you hit the button to close the garage door and drive away then can slip inside before they are even noticed.
#7. Travel in a group as much as possible especially in parking garages and public restrooms.
The buddy rule is simply safer when it comes to being downtown or isolated areas. The most dangerous areas for women to be alone are parking garages and public restrooms.
#8. Become a nosy neighbor.
Learn your neighbors cars and their typical work schedules. Is there a weird car in their driveway? Is there an odd car sitting on your road that you've never seen before. Notice things and share them with neighbors maybe even create a facebook group for your community where you all can share anything that seems off easily.
#9. Trust your instinct and be willing to ask for help.
Women are giving pretty powerful intuition so if something feels off or dangerous to you, listen to that feeling and take extra precautions. Someone seems to be following you through a store, ask a sales associate to walk you to your car. Someone is sitting in their car right beside yours and you feel nervous walking out alone at night, go back inside and wait until they leave. There is no embarrassment in being careful.
