Living Alone Safety Tips for Women
Recently, I had an incident where my personal safety was in significant jeopardy, and I thought it would be important to provide ways for women to ensure their safety and reclaim their power. My aim in providing this list is to point out everyday things that women have to think about.
This is particularly important when walking at night, living alone, shopping, and more.
The burden of being careful is something all women must bear. I hope to give any men reading this a little perspective into their privilege in existing in this world without having to calculate their every move through daily life.
How to feel safe as a woman
Like it or not, there are different safety rules for women. There is a very long, arduous, list of spoken and unspoken rules that we women have to live by in order to navigate safely through life.
Women who live alone have to take certain precautions when coming home at night or dealing with house calls and neighbors.
Unfortunately, far too many women will relate to feeling like there are certain things they just can’t do, such as:
You can’t walk around with both hands full. You must keep one hand free at all times.
You can’t walk to your vehicle alone or without keys ready in hand.
You can’t go outside alone between dusk and dawn.
You can’t walk around alone while using your phone (texting/scrolling is the worst).
You can’t be alone in designated “unsafe spaces” including elevators, stairways, parking garages, parking lots, dim hallways.
But instead of looking at that list as a list of things you can’t do, let’s flip it around. Let’s discuss how to feel safe as a woman, no matter what you’re doing.
safety tips for women
As empowered women, it’s up to us to make ourselves feel more comfortable and safe out in the world. And there are plenty of ways we can do that.
Carry mace, flashlight, rape whistle, taser, firearm, flashlight (nunchucks)
Have video mode ready when walking anywhere alone
Go places in groups
Always have a charged phone battery
Always have enough gas in the tank
Let friends know where you are and when you get home safely at the end of the night
Leave the door and at least one window open when having a service person in your home and let someone know that you will have a stranger in your home
Document any & every instance of strange behavior or occurrences in your neighborhood/building/complex
Use only one earbud to keep one ear free to hear surroundings
Mix up your routines and paths to frequent destinations—different drive home, come home at different times
These are just a few things we can do to maintain our awareness and our safety. If you have your own suggestions, I’d love to hear them from you!
Most Important Safety Advice for Women
Women, please! If you only remember one thing from this post, do NOT look away or at the ground when passing someone in the street. Our natural tendency when passing anyone on the street /sidewalk is to avert our gaze and not make eye contact.
This is a HUGE mistake. Instead, make direct eye contact and memorize what they look like (clothing, height, hair, facial hair, tattoos). You could even say good morning or good evening so they know you are aware of their presence because when, not if they attack you, you will need to be able to describe them to police.
Being Attacked is Never Your Fault
I write all of this not to scare anyone, but to empower women to take every precaution within our control to maintain our safety. No matter what, being attacked is NEVER your fault.
Being hyper-vigilant is an unfortunate necessity when you're a strong, independent woman in an uncertain world. Being aware and careful is a way to keep your power and protect your most sacred temple. Always listen to your instincts. If it feels wrong or weird, IT IS!
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