Walking alone can be a peaceful and relaxing activity, but it can also pose some safety risks. Whether you’re walking in a quiet neighbourhood or a busy city, it’s important to take precautions to protect yourself.
Unfortunately, many people underestimate the risks of walking alone and fail to take necessary safety measures. As a result, they may become victims of crime or accidents. To avoid potential dangers, it’s crucial to follow some basic safety tips.
In this blog, we’ll share 10 safety tips for walking alone that will help you stay safe and enjoy your walks with peace of mind. From being aware of your surroundings to carrying self-defense tools, these tips will give you the tools you need to stay safe while walking alone.
Walking alone can be therapeutic and a good way to relax and reflect on thoughts and enjoy your own company, however, it can be daunting and quite a bit of a challenge, especially for women, who are sadly affected by harassment that usually leads to assaults. By following some essential safety tips, women can walk alone with confidence and peace of mind. In this blog, we will go over 10 tips that can help women walk safely when alone and fend off any potential threat.
Be Prepared
The first step to staying safe when walking alone is to be prepared. This means planning ahead and taking necessary precautions to ensure your safety. Here are some tips to help you be prepared:
- Carry a charged phone: Make sure that your cell phone always has enough juice to get you through the day, it can help you make any emergency calls or texts if in danger.
- Let someone know your itinerary: Make sure you let a friend or family know about your plans for the day and the whereabouts you plan to visit and the approximate time you’ll spend on each spot, this will ensure they are alerted and waiting for you to reply and respond to them and if any mishaps, they’ve got your back.
- Carry self-defence tools: Consider carrying self-defence tools like pepper spray, a personal alarm or a small flashlight.
Stay Alert
Always keep your head on a swivel and make sure about your surroundings. This means avoiding distractions like headphones or your phone and being aware of potential dangers. Here are some tips to help you stay alert:
- Keep your head up: Keep your head up and your eyes focused on your surroundings. This will allow you to see potential dangers before they become a threat.
- Avoid distractions: Avoid distractions like headphones, which can prevent you from hearing potential dangers.
- Avoid dimly lit or secluded areas: Never enter shady or dark areas, if you feel it may be threatening, take another route, you never know what is lurking in the dark and it is always better to avoid that kind of road.
Trust Your Instincts
Trust your gut feeling and listen to it always when you are out and about alone. Here are some tips to help you trust your instincts:
- Avoid potentially dangerous situations: Avoid places and routes that give off a shady vibe and make you feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
- Avoid potentially dangerous people: Trust your instincts, if you feel uncomfortable around certain people. leave immediately, as nothing is worth the risk of being with them.
- Trust your intuition: Your intuition is a powerful tool. Listen to it and take precautions.
Walk Confidently
Walking with confidence can help you project an air of strength and deter potential attackers. Here are some tips to help you walk with confidence:
- Maintain good posture: Stand up straight and maintain good posture. This will help you look confident and assertive.
- Make eye contact with others: Making eye contact with others can help you assert your presence and deter potential attackers.
- Project confidence through your body language: Project confidence through your body language by walking with purpose and taking up space.
Stay Connected
Staying connected with friends, family, or emergency services is important when walking alone. One way to do this is to use safety apps or features on your phone. For example, many smartphones have built-in features that allow you to quickly dial emergency services or send a distress signal to a predetermined contact. Additionally, there are several safety apps available that can help you stay connected and provide peace of mind while walking alone.
One such app is bSafe, which allows you to set up a personal network of friends or family members who can be alerted if you are in danger. The app also has a feature that allows you to set a timer for how long you plan to walk, and if you don’t check in before the timer runs out, your contacts will be notified. Other safety apps, such as Circle of 6, offer similar features and are worth exploring.
Know Self-Defence Techniques
As how important as it is to know how to avoid dangerous situations, it is also important to know how to defend and protect yourself in those sticky situations. Learning basic self-defence techniques can help you feel more confident and prepared when walking alone.
Some simple self-defence techniques to consider include:
- How to strike: Practice striking with your fists, elbows, and knees. Focus on targeting sensitive areas such as the eyes, nose, throat, and groin.
- How to break free from a hold: Practice techniques to break free from common holds, such as wrist grabs or chokeholds.
- How to use objects as weapons: Look for objects in your environment that you could use as weapons if necessary, such as keys or a pen.
Avoid Risky Behaviours
There are several risky behaviours that women should avoid when walking alone. It’s also important to avoid accepting rides from strangers, as this can be a common tactic used by attackers.
Taking shortcuts through unfamiliar areas or walking alone at night can also increase your risk of encountering danger. Stick to well-lit, populated areas when walking alone, and consider carrying a personal alarm or whistle that can be used to attract attention if needed.
Use Your Voice
Using your voice can be a powerful tool when walking alone. Be straightforward and let the person know if they make you feel uneasy and unsafe around them. If you feel unsafe, make noise to attract attention and alert others to your situation.
Make sure you know how to dial emergency services in your area and consider carrying a personal alarm or whistle that can be used to attract attention if needed.
Be Aware of the Law
Knowing your legal rights and protections as a woman is an important part of staying safe when walking alone.
- Know your local laws: Laws around harassment and assault vary from place to place.
- Know your rights: As a woman, you must feel safe and protected at all times, so in case of any uncertainty, reach out to specific organizations and report the incident right away.
- Seek legal advice: If you’ve got doubts about anything. get it cleared by legal professionals.
Remember, knowledge is power. By understanding your legal rights and protections, you can better protect yourself when walking alone.
Keep Learning and Growing
Staying safe when walking alone is an ongoing process. It’s important to continue learning and growing when it comes to your own safety and empowerment. Here are some tips for doing just that:
- Take self-defence classes: Being equipped with a set of self-defence techniques is important for anyone. Look for classes in your area that teach practical techniques for staying safe.
- Read books and articles: You can get in touch with several books that talk about women’s security and learn a whole bunch.
- Stay informed: Follow up on blogs, articles and newspapers. Keep staying updated on the organizations that emphasize women’s safety.
- Connect with others: Connect with other women who are also interested in staying safe and empowered. This could involve joining a community organization or attending events that focus on women’s safety.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, women should feel empowered to take control of their safety when walking alone. By being prepared, staying alert, trusting their instincts, walking confidently, staying connected, knowing self-defence techniques, avoiding risky behaviours, using their voice, being aware of the law, and continuing to learn and grow, women can walk with confidence and peace of mind. It is important to know that women have the right to feel safe and sound when they are out and should be able to seek help whenever necessary. There are many emergency call services and hotlines which should be kept on speed dial. By following these tips, one can avoid potential threats and stay at a safe distance from those acts.
