Table of Contents
Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.
What is Situational Awareness?
Situational awareness is the ability to perceive and understand your surroundings, the people, and the events happening in your immediate environment.
Developing strong situational awareness is a critical skill for personal safety and security.
By being aware of potential threats and opportunities, you can make better decisions and respond effectively to various situations.
When we talk to most people about situational awareness, they often refer to this scene from The Bourne Identity.
The cold hard truth is that there are extremely few people born with innate ability to be able to take in that much information on the fly and retain it. Training yourself to be this aware is also next to impossible unless you have the psychological makeup for it.
The scene from The Bourne Identity borders on a superhuman level of situational awareness, thus you should not place unrealistic expectations on yourself to be able to achieve this.
Instead we’re going to focus on how you can improve your situational awareness as much as humanely possible.
1. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings
Observe People and Activities
When it comes to staying safe and one step ahead of potential threats, the need to improve your situational awareness is a top priority.
Observe everything and everyone around you. Notice people’s body language, what they’re wearing, doing, who they’re talking to and any unusual behaviors that might raise eyebrows.
Look out for individuals who seem out of place or appear to be monitoring their surroundings a little too closely. Remember, it’s not about being paranoid; it’s about being prepared and learning to improve your situational awareness.
Make a mental note of these people and watch them carefully, with time you will get better at determining which potential threats you can dismiss and which you can’t.
Note Points of Entry and Exit
In military operations, knowing your points of entry(ingress) and exit(egress) can be the difference between life and death.
The same applies to your everyday life. Always be aware of the doors, windows, and other access points in your environment. Whether you’re in a crowded mall or walking down a quiet alley, knowing your escape routes is essential.
Mentally map out the nearest exits and consider potential obstacles that might hinder your path in an emergency.
This way, if the situation calls for it, you can navigate with confidence and get yourself to safety in no time.
This is something you can manually make yourself practice consciously and with time and enough repetition, you will find yourself doing it subconsciously with almost no effort.
Assess the Environment
Just like a seasoned security consultant, you must assess your surroundings with a keen eye.
Look out for potential hazards and objects that can provide cover or concealment. Pay attention to your line of sight, considering what you can see and what might be hidden from view as well as what others that you’ve deemed out of place of suspicious are capable of seeing within their sight lines.
When you’re in unfamiliar territory, quickly familiarize yourself with the layout and features of the area, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in certain buildings, memorize the layout of those buildings.
Knowing where potential risks lie can help you stay one step ahead and avoid potentially dangerous situations.
2. Limit Distractions
Minimize Phone Usage
One of the biggest distractions these days is that pocket-sized device we all carry – the smartphone.
While it’s handy for staying connected, it can also be a major hindrance to your situational awareness. So, when you’re out and about, put that phone on silent and resist the urge to check it every two seconds. Keeping your eyes glued to your phone all the time is never going to help improve your situational awareness.
By minimizing phone usage, you can keep your eyes and ears open to what’s happening around you.
Avoid Excessive Multitasking
Now, I know multitasking might be a useful skill in some situations, but let’s be real – it’s not the best approach when it comes to staying aware of your surroundings.
When you’re juggling a million things at once, you’re likely to miss important details and potential threats.
So, try to focus on one task at a time, especially when your situational awareness is crucial. Whether you’re walking down a busy street or waiting in line at the store, give your full attention to the present moment as much as you can. This not only helps improve your situational awareness but also allows for faster reaction times.
You will notice your ability to multi-task effectively(when necessary) while maintaining your situational awareness will also improve over time.
3. Trust Your Gut Instinct
When you improve your situational awareness, you also improve your intuition.
You need to learn to trust that gut of yours. Yeah, I’m talking about that little voice inside you that’s like your own personal radar.
Your gut instinct is a powerful tool that can pick up on things your brain might miss. So, when it starts sending you warning signals, pay attention!
Listen to Intuition
You know that feeling when something just doesn’t sit right? Well, that’s your intuition talking, and it’s there for a reason.
Your instincts are finely tuned by experience and survival instincts passed down through generations. So, when you get that gnawing feeling in your gut, don’t ignore it. Trust your intuition, and if something feels off or dangerous, act accordingly.
Acknowledge Alarm Bells
We’re talking about that instant sense of alarm or heightened awareness.
Your body’s natural fight-or-flight response is no joke. When you feel that surge of adrenaline and your heart starts pounding, take it seriously. Your body is trying to tell you something, and it’s time to be on high alert.
Listening to these will help improve your situational awareness.
4. Establish a Baseline and Stay Informed
A baseline for any given situation is what is considered normal for that situation or environment.
Establishing this mentally allows you to determine and immediately spot when things seem off or something is out of place.
Recognizing Typical Behavior
In any given setting, be it a busy street, loud bar or a quiet park, take a moment to observe the usual behaviors of people around you.
Notice how individuals interact with each other, how they move, and what’s typical for that specific location and time of day.
For instance, in a bustling city, people might be in a hurry, and vehicles are constantly on the move. On the other hand, a peaceful residential area might have residents walking their dogs or kids playing in the front yards.
When something deviates from this baseline behavior, it could be a signal that something is off-kilter.
Understanding Environmental Patterns
Familiarize yourself with the patterns of everyday life in different locations.
For example, if you’re at your workplace, take note of typical arrival and departure times, regular maintenance activities, or scheduled deliveries.
This way, any unusual occurrences like unexpected visitors or odd noises will stand out against the norm.
Keep your eyes peeled for any changes in your surroundings. Did that parked car suddenly appear overnight? Has a new construction site popped up in your neighborhood?
Changes can be significant or subtle, but they can give you valuable information about potential risks or opportunities.
Stay curious and inquisitive about your environment to maintain and improve your situational awareness.
Be Aware of Current Events
Life can get busy, but staying on top of current events is a must.
Whether it’s local news or global happenings, being informed helps you understand potential threats in your area. Keep an eye out for any updates on crime trends, safety concerns, or anything that might impact your surroundings.
Familiarize Yourself with High-Risk Areas
It’s time to get street smart. Know your turf and familiarize yourself with high-crime areas in your community.
When you’re aware of the places with a sketchy reputation, you can plan your routes accordingly and stay extra cautious when passing through them.
Don’t forget to make use of SDR’s! Which are also a great way to improve your situational awareness.
5. Use the "OODA Loop" Method
When trying to improve your situational awareness, the OODA loop method is a powerful tool that can give you the edge in any situation.
OODA stands for: Observe, Orient, Decide and Act.
It’s all about being agile and decisive.
Observe
Step one is all about keeping those eyes wide open. Continuously observe your environment, paying attention to any changes or potential threats. Notice people’s behaviors, movements, and anything that seems out of place. Stay vigilant, because the more you see, the more prepared you’ll be to respond.
Orient
Once you’ve gathered the intel, it’s time to process it. Orient yourself to the situation, understand what’s happening, and assess the potential risks. Consider your surroundings, the people involved, and the implications of each action. This step sets the foundation for your next move.
Decide
Here comes the moment of truth. Based on your observations and orientation, make a call and make it fast. Analyze the situation, consider your options, and decide on the best course of action. The key here is to be agile and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
Act
Now that you’ve got a plan, it’s time to put it into action. Don’t hesitate, and don’t second-guess yourself. Act with confidence and commitment. Whether it’s seeking safety, diffusing a potential conflict, or responding to a threat, execute your decision with precision.
Remember, the OODA loop is a dynamic process that keeps you ahead of the game.
Continuously observe, orient, decide, act and repeat. By mastering this method, you’ll be better equipped to handle any situation that comes your way and you will drastically improve your situational awareness.
6. Improve Your Situational Awareness with Your Peripheral Vision
Expand Your Field of View
Your peripheral vision is that extra bit of sight on the sides of your central focus.
It might not be as clear as looking straight ahead, but it’s more than enough to pick up on crucial information.
So, how do you develop it? Practice, practice and more practice. Take some time each day to intentionally focus on expanding your field of view.
Look straight ahead, but stay aware of movements and activities on the sides of your vision. You can do this indoors or outdoors, in a crowded place or a quiet spot. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at spotting things that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Scan Regularly
Ever heard the phrase “Head on a Swivel” well, we’re not going to extremes, but adopting that scanning habit is crucial for your ability to improve your situational awareness.
As you go about your day, get into the habit of scanning your surroundings regularly.
Move your eyes and head to cover all angles, left, right, up and down. You don’t need to do this constantly but you should especially do this upon initial entry or exit of a building or when new elements or people are introduced to the situation.
Remember, this isn’t about being paranoid, it’s about being vigilant. When you scan regularly, you can spot potential dangers early on and react before things escalate.
7. Memory and Situational Awareness Exercises
One of the best ways to improve your situational awareness is with some memory and situational awareness exercises.
Building a sharp memory is crucial for staying on top of your surroundings, and these exercises will keep you one step ahead of the game.
Kim’s Game
This classic memory game is a favorite among military and security professionals for enhancing situational awareness.
Here’s how it works: Gather a group of items and place them on a table. Give yourself a few moments to observe and memorize the objects.
Then, cover them up or remove them from sight. Your task is to recall as many items as possible from memory. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at quickly processing and storing visual information thus making it easy to improve your situational awareness.
Random Person Identification
This one is really easy, and requires 2 people.
One of you shows the other a picture of a random person with a labeled name on the picture, they then cycle through a group of pictures, only showing you them briefly for a few seconds.
Then the observer must describe the individuals in the pictures with what they look like and any identifying features once they are given a name.
This exercise helps build facial recognition and recall ability which is key to be able to improve your situational awareness.
Room Recall
This exercise can be done alone and is as simple as entering a room, staying for a few seconds while observing as much as you can then leaving.
After leaving, you have to quickly write down everything you saw and remember. Afterwords go back in and determine how much of that information you got right and what you missed.
Like anything the more you train with these kinds of exercises the more you will improve your situational awareness.
We absolutely recommend checking out Lumosity as they have a number of fantastic exercises which are all great for memory and situational awareness training.
Developing strong situational awareness and being able to improve your situational awareness is an ongoing process that requires constant attention and practice.
By paying attention to your surroundings, limiting distractions, trusting your instincts, establishing a baseline, using the OODA loop and training your mind with memory exercises, you can significantly improve your situational awareness skills to a level you may never have thought possible.
