Situational awareness is incredibly important and there’s a reason preppers place such a value on it. Simply put, situational awareness is just knowing what’s going on around you which is important for all of us.
Unfortuanlty, situational awareness is easy to lose. But if you’ve already been great at it, reading this should be all it takes to remind you to take that mindset seriously if for some reason you’ve forgotten about it. Creating habits and changing your behavior is the best way to make sure you remain aware at all times, even during high-stress situations. If you haven’t yet tried to become more aware of what’s happening around you, try these simple tips to help you out!
Identify Elements In Your Environment
Start by noticing the threats that surround you. Then expand your awareness to other non-threatening elements. This is the most basic level of Situational Awareness where you begin to monitor, detect, and recognize multiple situational elements. These include objects, events, people, and environmental factors. Basic situational awareness also requires you to notice the locations, conditions, and actions of the elements around you. Although this may seem daunting, we all do this to some extent already. To improve situational awareness, you simply have to make it a habit to notice things even when those things are going smoothly.
Trust Your Gut
Instincts were given to animals for a reason, and as humans, most of us have had a “gut reaction” to a situation or event. Trusting your gut means if you’re getting a bad feeling or an “off vibe” as some describe it, make a different choice. For example, if you have a bad feeling about going to the grocery store, don’t force yourself to go. Wait it out until it feels right.
Continue To Challenge Yourself To Become Aware
Challenge yourself to notice things such as “time.” I don’t mean what time it is, but how long something has been going on. Keep your mind updated on how long things take, even if it’s menial, such as, for example, a neighbors home renovations. Notice what’s coming in and going out of their home. (Don’t do this with the goal of “busting” your neighbor, but as a way to enhance your own awareness. It should be used a mental exercise.) This will help keep your mind sharp for when you need to be aware of potentially dangerous events going on in public or in your surrounding area. Knowing how long things have been “off” will help you know what actions you will need to take if any.
Stay Well Rested
A lack of sleep will affect your ability to assess your environment and the fatigue will make it more difficult to respond to a situation if needed. Americans are largely sleep deprived, which decreases our situational awareness dramatically. Getting a good night’s sleep and adequate rest will help keep your mind functioning in tip-top condition. Use a natural supplement such as melatonin or CBD oil if you need added support to help you get adequate sleep.
These aren’t all the ways you can improve your situational awareness, but they are some of the easiest and personally helped me out quite a bit! Knowing what’s going on around you and being able to assess the threats to your life or property are incredibly important skills, and in my opinion, not talked about enough. We should not learn to be aware of our surroundings to “tattle” to the police on our neighbors but to survive in dangerous SHTF situations.
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For situational awareness:
Don’t believe Tel Lie Vision.
Critical thinking must be used.
Watch this on YouTube:
do a search on:
“The TOWERS Or HOW TO LOOSE YOUR YT CHANNEL”
Watch before youtube deletes. Hurry.
Anything common sense they delete. Only NWO commie pro fag antiAmerican antiHuman propaganda is allowed by tech monopoly tyrants in silicon valley.
Censorship. Your changed leftist tech monopoly controlled Amerikka.
Think about that when you watch CNN.
Beware the electronic device that hypnotizes you when you are in public. There are plenty of examples of folks walking in front of Trains, Buses, Trucks, etc. The criminals know you are easy pickin’s if your head is buried in that device.
Although, it could be a great ploy for revealing the snakes in a Charles Bronson “DEATHWISH” scenario.
I leaned a lot about situational awareness when my wife noticed two shady guys following us in a small town we were visiting several years ago. After she pointed this out we made several strategic turns and stops and they always did the same thing. It was obvious they were following us and slowly getting closer. I figure they were just waiting for the right time to jump us when there would be no witnesses around. We went around a corner and ducked into a store when they were fairly close. They came around the corner and then stopped and started looing all around for us. They continued down the sidewalk and we came out behind them. They turned around and saw me looking right at them and they knew the jig was up. They continued on their way and probably found another victim later on. Women are much better at doing this sort of thing than men. But after that little experience I now know the value of paying attention to my surroundings.
Prioritize who is a giver and a taker — whether it is time, money, materiel, attention, and so forth.
Frees up so much bandwidth, not having to do any of the thinking for so many hangers-on, you will feel like you have so much more energy, not having to carry their end of the convo or bargain.
Just pay attention. Always have a plan and contingencies as well.
The military teaches and instills the understanding of what they refer to as “The OODA Loop.”
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
We are constantly doing this throughout our lives, but if you’re only aware of it when you’re pulling into traffic, you’re missing a lot of what’s going on around you.
Great article Mac, constant reminders like this keep up all on our toes, and minimize our risks in an upside down world.
The OODA loop is a method of understanding other peoples thinking process in an effort to break it and gain a tactical advantage. You should always be thinking about the possibilities, not thinking in a pattern… otherwise the other guy will break your predictable loop.
When I was discharged from active duty in 67 I was hyper vigilent for several years. Then I was a farmer and we are always watching to know when something goes wrong. I have tried to teach my family to watch your six. When you see a man looking all around in a walmart parking lot he is a policeman or soldier.
Watch for the guy who immediately looks to the hard corner when entering a room at the party. Then go buddy up 😉
What is truly amazing is how we navigate a crowded store. Carts, kids, employees stocking shelves, grandmas in electric wheelchairs, and in those motorized shopping carts. It’s a miracle to get out alive. And it doesn’t stop at the door. The parking lot is out of control. I damn near got run down by a speeder whom had not read this article.
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A simple way to improve your awareness?
Just like the picture shows. Get your face out of the silly telephone! Especially the girls.
“Get your face out of the silly telephone”
BINGO Stuart;
You can’t go anywhere in public without seeing the majority of people starring at their phone and being totally oblivious to their surroundings.People are addicted and dependent on their phone and wouldn’t know what to do without them..
Don’t leave out other senses which can impart valuable info. Sometime (not while driving), close your eyes and note the sounds and smells at a locale. You might be surprised at all that can be found.
Review this input from time to time and at different locations and times. At times when something is “off”, it’s first noted by senses other than sight. If it’s a dark moonless night, these senses will be fairly important.
get them damn earbuds outa yer ears! riding a bike, i have given up talking from behind people, they ALWAYS can’t hear me. even if no music, the girls seemingly never look back behind them, day OR night.
half the battle is just looking UP and not staring at your feet, lost in thought.
Phones make it far worse.
Good article Mac. Mindfulness, situational awareness so important to use every day. Sixth sense (gut feeling) just as important as the other five senses. And good health.
Alot of Ohio people here. Just sayin.