Would you consider yourself to be aware of your surroundings? As I walk around my neighbourhood shopping or strolling for exercise, I am fascinated by how easy it would be to snatch someone's cell phone from their hand or take their backpack. Pickpockets often target people who seem distracted, so by remaining alert, you become a less likely target. Situational awareness can help you secure your belongings and avoid displaying valuables that may attract attention. Regardless of their age, everyone is busy looking at their phones and often bumps into people or steps into the crosswalk pushing a baby stroller or dragging their dogs behind them. I am always curious why mobile phones and devices today are more important than anything else. Even automobile drivers are much too busy looking down when they should be looking straight ahead so no one ends on their bumper.
Growing up, my mother taught me and my siblings to always be alert and aware of things happening around us. We all thought she made up stories to scare us and to stay closer to home. She taught us how to sniff out dangerous situations by staying fully alert. She would always test our skills to observe how well we learned our lessons. She would ask, how many people were on the bus this morning? How many of them were men, and how many were women? Were there any children on the bus? Then, she would question us about what people were wearing and the colours. We had to concentrate and practice very hard to make her smile.
Situational awareness is crucial for safety, making informed decisions, and responding effectively in a variety of settings. It helps people anticipate risks, avoid potential dangers, and adapt quickly to changes in their environment. Here’s why it’s important and how to enhance it:
Personal Safety: Being aware of your surroundings reduces vulnerability in unfamiliar or potentially unsafe situations. Recognising signs of danger early can allow for timely responses, which is essential in public spaces, such as public transportation, at a sports event, in a crowded theatre, while driving, or in unfamiliar areas.
Better Decision Making: Situational awareness helps people make better choices based on real-time information. This skill is invaluable in high-stakes environments like healthcare, the military, and emergency response, where quick decisions can make a difference in outcomes.
Social Awareness: Being observant also extends to being able to read social cues and understand the emotional states of others. Social cues may involve observing body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and personal boundaries. This can improve interpersonal relationships, foster empathy, and help navigate social dynamics effectively.
Being Professional: In many fields, situational awareness can enhance productivity, safety, and efficiency. For example, in the workplace, being alert to the needs of co-workers and anticipating potential challenges can improve team dynamics and performance.
When I graduated from university, I wanted to be in television commercials or advertising. During that time, I was allowed to attend a great class about awareness. Most assignments were spent outdoors, walking around or going to coffee shops. To this day, I still remember the faces of the other nine students. Once per week, our professor would say, okay, it's time to saddle up. One day, our assignment was to walk past someone on the street and describe them to the group. The best part of being in the group was writing everything down. As I passed a woman, within seconds, I had to mentally record:
What was she wearing?
What colours was she wearing?
Describe her shoes and their colour. Was she wearing nylon stockings or socks?
What colour was her hair? Was her hair long, short, or curly?
Was she wearing lipstick? What colour was the lipstick? Was she wearing an eye shadow? If so, what colour was it?
What colour were her eyes? Was she wearing glasses? If so, what colour were the frames?
Was she wearing rings? Were they gold or silver? Were there any diamonds? Was she wearing a necklace or a bracelet?
One day, each of us was assigned to sit in a local cafe, order a coffee or tea and choose someone to watch. The task was to return to class and be able to pretend to be the person we were watching for 30 to 45 minutes. I spent the first 30 minutes watching a man. There was to be no communication between us. Finally, the man kept smiling at me and approached me to ask if we had met before. I responded no, and then he offered to buy me a coffee. The next person was a woman who couldn't stop smiling. She walked over and asked me to join her. I thanked her and politely excused myself.
Every day, I work on improving my situational awareness even though I have been learning for many years. I laughed when a friend recommended meditation to me, but I thought I would try it just to prove them wrong. It changed my entire view of my surroundings. Practising mindfulness helps to sharpen awareness by encouraging people to stay in the moment, being aware of sounds, sights, smells, and physical sensations. This focus helped me reduce distractions and increase my alertness.
Regularly, I challenge myself to notice details about my environment, such as new businesses moving in and venues going out of business. I enjoy looking at all the beautiful drawings on many of the laneways or alleys. As an observer, I enjoy watching people, what they are wearing, the colour of their hair, what they are saying, and deciding as to which ones may be a threat. I have agreed with myself to not use my mobile phone/device in any public spaces because it can help maintain focus on one's surroundings. Studies show that constant device usage can dull observational skills and reduce responsiveness to potential risks. One of the most difficult things for people is to trust their instincts or gut feelings about a situation. Often, intuition is a reaction to subtle environmental cues that we may not consciously notice. My mom taught me to always listen and follow my gut feelings. She was correct. If something feels off, it's worth paying attention to and considering why you may be having that response.
In the class I mentioned earlier, we practised scenario planning. It's when you imagine various "what-if" scenarios in different environments. For example, if you're in a crowded event, ask yourself how you would react in an emergency. Living in San Francisco for many years, I can remember always being prepared for an earthquake until everything started shaking without warning. It taught me that it's a great activity to plan, but to understand that none of us can stop a disaster but being aware can save a life.
Years ago, when I lived and worked in Washington, DC, one of my dearest friends who was living there lectured me on how to survive in an unsafe area without confrontation. To this day, I still follow the golden rules she prescribed. She instructed me to always wear my shades or dark glasses when riding on the subway or public transportation, to keep earbuds in my ears as if listening to music, and to listen to all conversations. You never move your head towards someone, but I learned to just move my eyes in different directions, being aware of everything happening around me. In new surroundings or venues, I have learned to:
Identify all the exit signs
Never sit with my back to a door or doorway
Observe all the people around you in case you must describe them later. If anyone is acting erratically or makes you feel uncomfortable, consider moving to a different part of the bus or train or sitting closer to a conductor, driver, or other passengers.
Identify where the toilet is located
Trust my intuition or gut feelings. If something or someone doesn’t feel right, trust your gut. It might mean shifting seats, moving closer to other people, or even changing your route. Often, instincts pick up on cues we’re not consciously aware of, so it’s worth listening to them.
Take a mental snapshot of the room to verify if anything is out of place or if someone is being odd or angry with the staff or other people
When walking during the day or night, keep in mind what's in front of you. As a test, close your eyes for a few seconds and listen to the sounds all around you. Although it takes lots of practice, I can tell when someone is walking behind me and how many steps they are away from reaching me. Often, I will stop to browse in a shop window so I can get a glimpse of the person behind me in the window or when they pass by me.
Building situational awareness takes practice and intentional effort, but with time, it can become second nature. It’s a skill that keeps us safer, helps us connect with others, and can even improve our mental resilience in challenging environments. The more you practice these techniques, the more second nature they’ll become. Situational awareness is not about feeling fearful but about being present, informed, and prepared in any setting.
What is your experience dealing with being aware of your surroundings, and how would you teach children to be more alert?
Comments