Natural disasters, criminals and wrongdoers, freak accidents- there are a lot of things we need to be worried about. To live happily, you need to be aware of the dangers. And not just be aware but prepared for them.
There’s the risk of sounding too worried about safety and obsessed with protection. But it’s not about being obsessed- it’s about being prepared. To live your life as comfortably and as free as possible, you need to be prepared for uncertainties and emergencies. Living your life in fear and paranoia isn’t exactly a good thing, but living your life unprepared isn’t either.
Here are some tips, so you can better prepare for whatever emergency may happen:
Stay Healthy
All over the world, regardless of what country you’re in or what your age is, the number one killer isn’t a person or an accident, it’s heart disease. When it comes to safety and protection, we often think that we have to protect ourselves from evildoers or accidents. But the truth is, it starts far closer to us than that.
The first layer of protection that we should focus on is our health. It protects us not just from fatal lifestyle-based diseases such as cardiac problems and diabetes, but even to basic illnesses like common colds. This, in turn, improves our quality of life as we’re not plagued by diseases.
Exercise and Get Fit
Eating healthy isn’t enough to be healthy. A good diet comes hand in hand with the right amounts of physical activity. Living a sedentary lifestyle is a sure way to increase the risks of fatal illnesses like cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and even mental health issues like anxiety or depression. Being physically fit doesn’t just help aid you in being healthy, it also grants you the strength to live a better life. You’ll experience far fewer aches and physical problems, you have the energy to live and enjoy life, and you’ll most likely develop the strength to live and survive.
Learn Basic Self Defense
Since we’re on the topic of unexpected situations, martial arts or basic self-defense is something that can help you in such an event. It’s not about “winning the fight” or “subduing the opponent”. Basic self-defense is geared towards survival and evasion- should someone show malicious intent towards you and proceed with a physical attack, you want to be equipped with the ability to evade and move to safety. It’s always about escaping the danger and living to see another day rather than being brave and confronting the fight.
Get Insured
If something bad is going to happen, and we can’t exactly do anything to prevent it (or foresee it), at the very least we’ll get financial compensation to help our recovery process. That’s essentially the idea when it comes to insurance. It can help you when it comes to issues of payment for hospitalization, repairs, or any medical emergencies.
Look for an insurance broker to help you out with getting your valuables (and your family) insured. Get health insurance for your family’s health but don’t forget that life insurance is important too. We have to accept that we will all leave at some point, and it’s important to make sure that those we’re leaving behind get taken care of.
Learn Useful Skills
When people find themselves in a situation of emergency or duress, often, the first thing they think after processing the situation is “I wish I had the skills to do this”. Those skills can be first aid, stitching up a wound, changing a tire, or even cooking- so go ahead and learn those skills! Life skills can help you in more ways than one, and they will always come in handy should the need arise. Being aware and prepared means nothing if you don’t have the skills to use your tools or address the situation, so best start learning basic skills- or even survival skills.
Increase Your Situational Awareness
Everyone has been in moments of hyper-awareness where they notice the smallest of things and react just in time to avoid or to catch something. This is what situational awareness is: being able to observe the situation and make the necessary decisions based on your observation. It’s a skill that can be harnessed and developed, and it can save your life someday.
You can start by simply paying attention to what’s around you. Put down your phone and start observing your surroundings. You’ll find that there’s a lot of things to take note of and you’ll be more alert when an emergency arises.
