Monday Musings: How To Increase Situational Awareness As You Age
Today’s musings are less all over the map than usual. It’s focused on the importance of situational awareness as you age because I had a wake-up call last week.
Many women who have to wear glasses have a wardrobe of styles to choose from. I hate wearing glasses, and I’m very particular about which shape I’ll wear, so I only have three pairs. A frameless pair I wear at home and two others that I alternate between. The frames are both pretty old, and I’ve been just updating the RX as needed.
I’m now in the market for new glasses because I wasn’t paying attention and these ones got stolen last week.
Situational Awareness
I like to think I’m situationally aware, but last week, I dropped the ball and left a favorite tote bag in the car.
My daughter and I went for a long walk on the beach last week on a particularly blustery day. I was carrying my convertible travel bag as a crossbody which held my credit cards, money, lipstick, hand sanitizer, mints, Tylenol, and phone. It holds a ton of stuff but not my eyeglass case, so I left my regular glasses back in the car, along with some sunscreen and sneakers. I doubt anyone would break into a locked car for RX glasses, but they will if they’re zipped into a tidy-looking tote bag with a scarf snazzily tied around the handle.
I know better than to do that. I could have hidden the bag in the back under something, but I left it on the floor of the front seat, and some creep helped himself to them. We were parked along the road, in a long line of parked cars, up against some woods. My safety antenna must have been down because it was the perfect opportunity for someone to break in without being seen.
I like to think I’m on top of my game when it comes to protecting myself. I’m situationally aware enough only to wear one earbud when walking outside. I always look through the peephole before answering the door. I’ll even use our ring system speaker to speak to someone if I don’t want to open the door. I’ve even begun to pull into the garage and close the overhead door before unlocking my car and going into the house. I carry a personal alarm on my keychain and a small can of mace when walking the trails near my house.
And yet…I was lulled by the gorgeous sunny day, the sounds of gulls overhead, and kids splashing in the ocean. The idyllic location distracted me from the need to be aware of my surroundings and cautious enough to hide my stuff. It’s that simple.
It turns out that older adults have lower situational awareness than younger and middle-aged adults. Stress, fatigue, distractions, and cognitive function all play a role, as well as simply paying attention.
Here are some ways to increase your situational awareness as you age:
- Be observant and pay attention to your surroundings
- Maintain a high level of observation
- Stay informed about current events
- Trust your instincts
- Plan ahead and anticipate risks
- Practice mindfulness
- Stay mentally and physically active
- Continuously assess and reassess
- Limit distractions
- Take self-defense classes
- Plan ahead
- Let friends and loved ones know where you’re going
What can you add to this list that we should all be doing to increase our situational awareness as we age? Please share your wisdom.
Oh, Jennifer, I’m so sorry to hear this. Fortunately, both you and your daughter are ok.
A teacher friend of mine left her briefcase on the floor of the backseat of her car when she made a quick stop at Publix. When she came out, she realized someone had broken into her car and stolen her briefcase. The thief must’ve been quite disappointed to open it and find only a gradebook and a stack of student papers.
Thanks for the safety tips.
So sorry. That awful.
So sorry this happened to you. I can’t imagine what someone intends to do with your prescription glasses! It does sound like you are more careful with your glasses than I am with mine, so I will just admit that when I find frames I like, I buy two. Then I do what you described, just getting new lenses. It’s like finding a great pair of shoes that you know you will love and wear into the ground — I get two pair in that situation too.
When I was working, we had to take Active Shooter Training. The instructor said something, unrelated to a shooter, that stayed with me. He asked us to please, please, please stop using the automatic door unlock (that wonderful invention that tells us where our car is if we’ve forgotten or just want the ease of a door already open) as we approached our cars. “Why, he asked us, are you advertising from several car lengths away, that you are approaching? And why are you unlocking the door for them?”
That’s brilliant, Jane! I do that all the time to find my car. No more!!
I am so sorry that this happened to you, Jennifer. And, I’m glad that you and your daughter are safe. The world has gone totally mad.
So sorry to hear about what happened! Thanks for sharing with us. Lots of great ideas being shared. I always try to make sure that my garage door opener is locked up and I carry my registration/insurance copies in my wallet so they don’t have my address. Sadly, I also wear sneakers to malls and large outdoor events so I can run if needed. Also, always check for exits.
Good ideas, I hate having them in my car.
I’m sorry to hear this. I hope it wasn’t in Vancouver? Our car was once broken into when we were in Phoenix. They broke the side window and opened the trunk and stole all our luggage. It was years ago, but I still shudder when anyone says Phoenix. Lol
Yes, this was Vancouver. Crime is everywhere so we need to be careful.
Sad to hear all these stories of petty theft, etc., that seem to be occurring more and more in an era where some individuals have lost their moral compass. I used to work in a Hawaiian five star hotel and have seen and heard just about everything on the theft level. One of my best friends works in hotel security today. Don’t think that your belongings are safe in the trunk of a car. They aren’t. There are “spotters” out there (some as young as 12) working together using binoculars and keeping track of who puts what where and who is going where. Trunk locks can be broken in seconds. Alarms don’t mean a thing. I keep pepper spray hidden in my car, one in my pocket and one hanging with car keys around my neck. An incident in California last year led to that and more awareness as I was surrounded by three men banging with their fists on my car in a parking lot, attempting to sell me “car repair.” Last year, Costco had the best deals on pepper spray – four canisters – two shooting 6 feet and two spraying 10 feet. The more length the spray, the more time you have to get away. Sorry to report this stuff in this usually “happy, over 50” venue, but maybe some of this info will be of benefit to someone here at some time. Awareness. An important thing.
We HAVE to be aware and careful so I thank you for sharing, Nan.