Holiday Safety 101 (plus graduate level safety 😉 )

REAL TALK!

You have NEVER seen a holiday season here in Colorado (or the US, or the world for that matter) like the one that’s upon us now.

Coming off of major restrictions during the holidays last year, you’re in uncharted territory for the holidays this year.
Here’s what you’re currently facing in a simple formula:

+ Less to Zero restrictions on congregating (as compared to last year) causing a surge PLUS
+ Less patience and short tempers in general PLUS
+ Scarcity of products to purchase PLUS
+ Unprecedented rise in crime PLUS
+ Emboldened criminals who perceive low to no consequences PLUS
+ Less visible security and police
= YOU needing to be smarter, more prepared, more aware and vigilant this season, all while making sure YOU have the the holiday and happiness you and your family or friends deserve.

So to that end, here’s a gift for you straight from my “Awareness, Avoidance, and Action” seminar that we deliver to thousands of folks all over the country every year. A spattering of tips, queues, best practices to enjoy your holiday outings while being your own superhero.

AWARENESS: So much lip service is spent on the term “situational awareness” these days, telling you that you need it, but not showing you how.  We’ll here’s how (the cliff notes):
Situational Awareness is nothing more than the ability to SWITCH TASK consciously and with purpose. Switch tasking is, simply, the act of moving your focus from one thing to another thing. Some people would call that ‘multi-tasking’ but they’d be wrong. Humans can not multi-task. We switch task. The ability to do so fully recognizing what you’re doing is, for the most part, situational awareness.
Rule #1, start listening to your inner superhero.  That little voice actually knows a thing or two about keeping you safe. While people go about their business lost in their phones, their stresses, their conversations, and their tasks…they ignore their inner superhero assuming it’ll help them if things go south. WRONG. The inner superhero is telling you something is ABOUT to possibly go wrong, and that you should avoid it. Don’t expect it to save your ass once it’s gone south…it warned you. YOU, however, will listen to your inner superhero. And while enjoying your friends or family, or on your phone, or thinking about your stress or life, you’ll remember to switch task and STOP-LOOK-LISTEN when your spidey-sense sends a ping to your conscious brain, no matter how feint. Don’t expect it to scream at you, it won’t. It’ll very quietly nudge you and say “yo, that was weird” but it won’t actually TELL you what was weird. It’ll feel more like deja-vu or a memory that jumps into your head but you can’t quite place it, or why it’s there. To know what the source was, you need to switch task and SLL (Stop, Look, Listen)

AVOIDANCE: Seems simple enough. I’m sure you’ve heard the obligatory advice of ‘if you see a group of people on the sidewalk, cross the street….”. Well, way to oversimplify. The real problem starts with your ability to actually comprehend that there’s a potential threat ahead. That goes back to the AWARENESS section above. But let’s be realistic, crimes of opportunity are most often committed by a solo actor. One that you either didn’t see before hand, or blended in easily. Being able to ‘avoid’ potential danger requires you to switch task often, and have an ALTERNATE escape plane not only loaded up in the cranial cavity, but hopefully practiced at least once.

What I mean is that you have to pre-plan and preferably dry run your escape routs each and every time. Pardon my language, but your brain will absolutely F*&% you over in an exigent circumstance rife with surprise, stress and fear. You’ll only do whatever it is you last did or most often do. You won’t suddenly in the moment come up with a fantastical plan of escape…”You will not rise to the level of your expectations, you will instead fall to the level of your training” as the saying goes.  So true!

ACTION: In my presentation, the Action section talks about the 3 most important points in self-defense training. But for the holidays, here are some great ideas to help you while you’re out and about.

1. Shop in pairs if not groups. Make plans with family and friends to head to the mall together.  If you split up in the mall, try to stay in pairs.  Before separating, set a rendezvous time and place so you can all leave the mall together.   If you travel in separate cars, park them together (yes, this might mean you have to walk further…it’s good exercise!)  Make sure everyone has each other’s cell phone numbers in case you’re late making the rendezvous you can check in.
2. If you have to shop alone, when leaving, leave with someone by tagging along with another group you see leaving at the same time. Hang out inside of the exit for a while, offset from the exit door, and facing back inside so you can see anyone that was behind you or coming up to the exit.  Find a good looking group, get in front, scan the outside, open the door, turn around and hold the door for them.  You just gave yourself a 360 degree look at your environment.  Plus it’s polite.
3. Don’t collect more than you can safely carry. What this means is that you shouldn’t ‘connect’ yourself to any of the bags.  Sliding bags handles up your arms to carry more bags could not only cause injury in a snatch and run, but it can cause injury if you fall or get caught up in a piece of moving equipment.  Bring a wagon, or rent a cart if you’re buying that much stuff.  If you must, take some of it to your car and head back in to finish your shopping.  (This is admittedly a bad thing for protecting your ‘stuff’.  So make sure you’re not being watched or better yet, get in your car and drive away, then re-park somewhere else).
4. Dress for success. You’re not applying for a job…you’re shopping. Comfortable clothing that you can maneuver in and comfortable shoes that you can move quickly in if you need to.  Backpacks are preferable to purses with the added benefit of stuffing smaller purchased items into it keeping your hands less restricted.
5. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for alternate exits as you’re walking around that mall!
6. Every once in a while, be sure to just STOP-LOOK-LISTEN!

These simple tips will cost you nothing, except perhaps 2 minutes out of your entire day.  2 minutes well spent to insure your safety.  It’s an easy step to take to keep these holidays happy and full of family time, fun, and laughter.