Situational Awareness is the Key to Everyday Life

Situational Awareness is something everyone should actually have when it comes to being out and about with the rest of the general public. Having such a skill will protect you not only in the workplace but also everywhere else you go. It is very important to pay attention to your surroundings everywhere you go, including in your own home. I say in your own home because some of the household items you use everyday are hazardous materials.

Having situational awareness is more important than ever especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have to be extra careful in our interactions with people in public spaces. Also, we have to make sure we are socially distanced from one another so we can decrease the numbers of cases in our respective areas. The one aspect that is very important is covering your mouth with your elbow instead of your hands while sneezing.

While you're enjoying a night out, make sure you bring a friend with you or if by yourself, pay extra attention to your surroundings. The more attentive you are, you become more aware. Many in the private security and law enforcement communities will tell you that your keen awareness of your surroundings will deter a criminal's chance of committing a crime. This particular life skill will also decrease the likelihood of you becoming a victim of a crime.

The question also becomes: Is there such a thing as being too aware to the point of paranoia? To some people and certain mental health professionals, this might be the case because sometimes people can be hypervigilant to the point of distrusting others or themselves.

Vigilance is a good life skill to have especially in a post-apocalyptic scenario because you never know what the next day would bring. Simply put, this will also help you in your place of employment because you will be able to detect and avoid scams on the internet on your office computer.

Many of us take advantage of the fact we have so many resources that can put us at ease such as public safety agencies such as: police, fire, emergency services and let’s not forget our private security professionals that are there every single day. These professionals work tirelessly to make you safe everywhere you go. However, the reality is as convenient as it may seem to have police, fire and EMS coverage 24/7/365, it is also the responsibility of the individual to know what is going on with them. There are some places around the world that do not have these services on hand but either during the day or night hours.

Nevertheless, it is very important for people to be more aware of their surroundings simply because their lives depend on this. This skill is very important for everyone to have because unfortunately in the real world, there is danger in every corner of the world even in our own backyard. Even so in a global pandemic situation, we need to also look out for our loved one and neighbors as well as our elderly so they have the resources needed to live through the lockdowns and travel restrictions. Situational awareness allows us the foresight to see everything that is around us.

It is about time that we as a country and world wake up and stop being complacent to our everyday routines. We need to take the extra time to look around and get a better understanding of anything and everything around us. We know that taking the extra time or even seconds to make sure we keep ourselves and everyone around us safe.