Body language is universal. Many of us use it every day when talking with friends or during a meeting at work, often without even realizing it. But did you know that you can also use your body language as a way to keep yourself safe?
When it comes to your personal safety, there are several body cues that you can send to potential predators that will let them know that they don’t want to mess with you. Here are just a few body language cues you can practice and use to be vigilant about your personal safety.
Head Up, Shoulders Back
Your posture can be one of the most powerful messages you can send. Often, predators are looking for victims who appear weak, unsure, or easily challenged, so walking around with poor posture only increases the risk of you being picked as a potential victim. So, keep your head up and shoulders back. Wherever you are going, even if you get lost, walk with a purpose. If you look confident, it can be a big deterrent for predators.
Pay Attention
How often do we go about our day blissfully unaware of what is going on around us? We put our headphones in, blast our favorite songs, text our friends, or scroll through TikTok, not paying attention to anything going on around us. However, not paying attention to your surroundings is one of the quickest ways to get marked as an easy target.
This is where practicing situational awareness becomes so important. Look up and look around—and please put that phone away! Suppose you are actively looking at your surroundings. In that case, you will not only become less of a target, but you will be able to notice the warning signs of a potentially dangerous situation and remove yourself before anything happens.
Keep Your Hands Free & Visible
Not only do you need to put the phone away to pay attention but keeping your hands free is another body cue that you can send to predators that do not want to mess with you. When someone can see your hands, it lets them know that you could use them to fight back if you needed to.
Avoid keeping your hands in your pockets, carrying a lot of items, or crossing your arms. If someone were to attack you, it would be much harder for you to defend yourself.
Prepare, Prevent, and Protect Yourself with Safety Training with Shelley Klingerman
If you want to learn more tips on ensuring that you are in control of your safety, Shelley Klingerman and Stiletto Agency offer customized training programs for corporations, organizations, groups, and individuals to help them learn how to be vigilant about their personal safety. Contact us today to learn more.
