By: TBuzz
Situational awareness is your first line of self-defense.
Your intuition will alert you to potential dangers before you realize a threat may even exist.
Vital to situational awareness training is identifying your boundaries and “personal space” or protective bubble.
Consider the following tips to improve your situational awareness:
(1) Walk with your head held high and back straight
(2) Walk with intention, quickly and deliberately
(3) Avoid texting or talking on your phone when you should be paying attention
(4) Make eye contact with the people around you
(5) Listen for changes around you
(6) Identify exits (windows and doors) should you need to leave quickly
(7) Create space when you are surrounded by strangers
(8) Have a plan to defend yourself, if necessary
(9) Avoid listening to music through earphones when you should be paying attention
(10) Make no apologies for what makes you feel uncomfortable and act accordingly
Understanding Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Cooper’s Color Codes of Awareness will help guide you through the various levels of alertness. The awareness code focus levels or zones include zone white, zone yellow, zone orange, and zone red.
Zone White – Unaware
When you are in zone white, you are unaware of what is going on around you and you don’t believe anything bad will happen to you. People are typically in condition white when they feel safe at home or are asleep.
Zone Yellow – Aware
When in zone yellow, you are generally relaxed, alert and paying attention. You are scanning your surrounds and making mental notes and observations. Whenever you are out and about, you should be in condition yellow.
Zone Orange – Heightened Awareness
In zone orange, you have noticed a potential threat and have focused on the person to determine if a threat exists and what next steps are warranted. If you determine that the person is not a threat, you can return to condition yellow.
Zone Red – Action
In zone red, action is immediate. You are likely experiencing an attack at the hands of a criminal. Some people may freeze, and others may run. For those who have trained for such encounters, engaging the threat may be their next step.
To enhance your situational awareness training, begin by practicing mental scripting. Mental scripting is the act of planning and rehearsing what you would do if you found yourself in a threatening situation or encounter. The more you practice your plan, the better chance you will have to execute it, if the situation presents itself. When you see or hear stories about attacks, ask yourself how you would have responded and practice that response. In addition, practice with your family, friends, and co-workers often. If you have children, casually begin to enhance their awareness by playing a game. Ask them to identify what a stranger was wearing during a trip to the grocery store. You can also ask them to describe the color of the car in front of you on the way to school. You will be able to assess how much they pay attention to what and who is around them daily. At home, give everyone a role to play as you approach and enter the home. See if they notice anything out of place or out of the ordinary. This preparation may very well make the difference in the overall outcome when faced with an unexpected threat.
Remember, your primary goal every day is to return home safely or to remain safe while in your home. Practicing situational awareness and honing your intuition daily will increase your chances of being able to identify potential threats and avoid them if possible. By simply paying attention to your domain (“up, down, and all around”), you may increase your reaction time and save yourself and the people you care about most.
