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Today’s deep thoughts are less than usual all over the map. She focuses on the importance of situational awareness as we get older because I received a wake-up call last week.
Many women who have to wear glasses have a wardrobe of styles to choose from. I hate wearing glasses and am very particular about what shape I wear, so I only have three pairs. A rimless pair I wear at home and two more that I use alternately. Both of the frameworks are quite old and I just update RX as needed.
I am now in the market for new glasses because I was not paying attention and these were stolen last week.
situational awareness
I like to think I’m aware of the situation, but last week I dropped the ball and left my favorite tote bag in the car.
My daughter and I went for a long walk on the beach on a particularly windy day last week. I was carrying my convertible travel bag as a cross body holding my credit cards, money, lipstick, hand sanitizer, mints, Tylenol and phone. It has a lot of stuff in it, but it’s not my glasses case, so I left my regular glasses in the car with sunscreen and sneakers. I doubt anyone would break into a locked car for their RX glasses, but they will if they’re zipped into a tidy-looking carrying case with a scarf stylishly tied to the handle.
I know better than to do this. I could have hidden the bag under something in the back but I left it on the floor of the front seat and a reptile helped them. Along the way, we parked in front of some woods, among a long park of cars. My security antenna must have been turned off because this was the perfect opportunity for someone to sneak in unseen.
I like to think I’m at the top of my game when it comes to protecting myself. I am situationally aware enough to only wear a headset when walking outside. I always look through the peephole before opening the door. I will even use our ring system speaker Talking to someone if I don’t want to open the door. I even started to get into the garage and close the top door before unlocking my car and entering the house. i am carrying personal alarm on my keychain and a little box bun walking the trails near my house.
And yet… The gorgeous sunny day, the sound of seagulls overhead, and the kids splashing in the ocean put me to sleep. The idyllic location distracted me from the need to be aware of my surroundings and be careful enough to hide my belongings. It’s that simple.
It turned out that older adults had lower situational awareness than younger and middle-aged adults. Stress, fatigue, distraction, and cognitive function all play a role besides just paying attention.
Here are some ways to increase your situational awareness as you get older:
- Be observant and pay attention to your surroundings
- maintain a high level of observation
- Be informed about current events
- trust your instincts
- Plan ahead and anticipate risks
- practice mindfulness
- Stay mentally and physically active
- Evaluate and re-evaluate constantly
- Limit distractions
- Take self-defense lessons
- Plan ahead
- Let your friends and loved ones know where you’re going
What can you add to this list of things we should all do to increase our situational awareness as we age? Please share your wisdom.
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