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Mastering Situational Awareness Without Losing Your Peace of Mind
The Everyday Habits That Turn Awareness Into Your Best Defense
Spencer Coursen
August 27, 2025
Most people think staying safe requires a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, a Navy SEAL bodyguard, or a state-of-the-art security system. The truth is, all you really need is a healthy sense of skepticism and a moderate dose of vigilance.
We live in a world where the pendulum swings between extremes: hypervigilance on one end (patting grandma down at the ballpark) and blind complacency on the other (leaving your front door unlocked because “this neighborhood feels safe”).
The truth is: everyday safety requires a move to the middle.
That middle ground is called participating in your own protection. And it’s grounded in situational awareness, which requires nothing more than being engaged with the world around you.
This means being more in-tune with your everyday operating environment and having a knowledgeable baseline of who is doing what, where, when, why, and with whom.
Because when you know what “normal” looks like, any abnormal occurrences or behavioral anomalies will begin to stick out like a sore thumb. You don’t even need to know what to look for because they will self-identify as the red flags most worthy of your extra attention.
Why This Matters
The best way to predict danger is to recognize when something doesn’t fit. This starts with having a knowledgeable baseline of what your everyday life is reasonably expected to look like.
Think about your own operating environment:
Who delivers your mail?
What day and time does the lawn crew show up?
Who walks their dog at 7 a.m. every morning?
When you are in tune with the rhythm of your surroundings, anyone playing offbeat is hard to miss. This allows you to be proactive, rather than reactive, so that you can act BEFORE that warning sign becomes a problem.
Bottom line?
Your everyday safety doesn’t require you to be fearful or anxious. But it does require your presence and your willingness to participate. Because the more tuned-in you are, the more prepared you’ll be — not just to detect threats, but to avoid them altogether.
Five Protective Strategies You Can Employ Today:
Establish Your Baseline
Start paying attention to your day-to-day environment. Who belongs? What’s normal? The more familiar you are with your surroundings, the quicker you’ll spot something that doesn’t belong.Trust But Verify
It’s okay to be skeptical. Confirm your deliveries. Know what to expect and when. If someone shows up out of rhythm—say, a package arrives at 4 a.m.—that’s not business as usual. That’s a red flag.Avoid the Extremes
Don’t swing between fear and apathy. You don’t need to scan every room like a Navy SEAL, but don’t walk around with your head buried in your phone either. Awareness is your superpower.Name What You See
One of the best ways to stay alert is to literally narrate your surroundings (quietly or internally): “Man in red hoodie walking fast, looking at parked cars.” The act of noticing helps sharpen awareness.Update Your Mental Map
Just like you update apps, update your expectations. If your workplace hired new security, if your neighborhood added new cameras, or if your kid changed their after-school routine—know it. A current mental map keeps you safer.
Disagree with anything? Hit reply—I always read your responses.
Live Smart. Stay Safe.
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