Do you enjoy the outdoors, but often feel unsafe when heading out alone? Unfortunately, too many people miss out on time in nature due to their anxiety and fears. You should be able to enjoy the outdoors in peace and without worry. However, this can be difficult to do, especially if you have had a negative experience in the past, such as being attacked by a dog or witnessing suspicious activity.
Here are some top tips to help you feel safe when going for a walk alone.
#1 Let someone know where you are going
A great way to feel safe when walking alone is to let someone know where you are going, and how long you plan to be. This can be reassuring for you, and help you to feel more confident while walking. You can also use a range of apps that can let a friend or family member find you if they become worried, for example, the app Alltrails enables you to send your planned route and time to a contact of your choice, and provides them with a URL that they can look at to see where you are. Alternatively, you can activate an app like Find My Friends, in case of an emergency. Make sure you only tell people or grant your GPS access to people that you can trust.
#2 Start with familiar and safer places
When walking in new places, you already have to worry about new surroundings and avoid getting lost. By starting with places that are familiar to you, you can already start your walk feeling comfortable and confident. This way you will know how far you have to walk, and all the available exits if you feel unsafe. As you build on your confidence, you can begin to explore new places.
You should always choose well-known places that are safe, have other people around, and are well-lit. However, it’s important to avoid places with heavy traffic. Unfortunately there are many pedestrian accidents every year and you don’t want to find yourself needing a pedestrian accident lawyer. Look for dedicated walking paths that are well visible to other people.
#3 Carry personal safety devices
You may wish to choose to carry personal safety devices to help you feel more at ease. This could be anything from Dog Attack Prevention Tools, to non-lethal self-defense tools such as pepper spray. These are a great way to make you feel mentally and physically prepared, in the unfortunate event that you feel you are at risk while walking alone.
#4 Learn self-defense
Learning a range of self-defense techniques is a great way to protect yourself, or others around you, in the event of an emergency. Just having the knowledge and skills that you can protect yourself, can go a long way in feeling more safe and confident while walking outside on your own. These can range from staying street smart, how to increase your awareness of your surroundings, all the way to learning physical techniques to warn off an attack.
Keeping yourself safe while walking is not a nice topic to talk about, but an important one. Unfortunately, you never know what could happen while alone, so it is vital that you equip yourself with the tools and knowledge to stay safe.
