The rewarding silence when you come home from work, having the space all to yourself, and the freedom to sleep in your work clothes or camp out all night in front of the television are small joys that living on your own can bring. But it is also necessary to take precautions for safety if you are a woman.
Don’t let fear rule you so much that you jump at the slightest creak or the smallest thud coming from the floor above or houses around you. All you need to do is be aware of your surroundings, follow certain habits, and make use of technology as much as possible to keep unwanted attention at bay.
Here are a few simple tricks and sensible tips you can consider to keep yourself safe as a woman living alone.
Meet the neighbours
Not all of us have the social skills to knock on a stranger’s door and introduce yourself. But if you are a single woman in a rented house, it might be good to train yourself to do so. If you are blessed with some cooking chops, then this is the time to put it into practice.
Bake a nice cake or fry up a plate of pakoras and take it when you hope across to your neighbour’s house. There is nothing like good food to get people warmed up and start talking to you. Knowing your neighbours and having their numbers handy in your mobile phone is important if there is a threat to you.
Picking the right house or apartment
Ensuring your security begins before you start living in the house. Do your research. Keep away from neighbourhoods that have been in the news for the wrong reasons. Talk to other single women at your workplace and ask for recommendations.
Scout out the places you have in mind to see what security systems they have in place. Do they have CCTV installed at critical spots? Do they have a strong guard network to check identity cards of maintenance and service personnel?
Keep a checklist of essential points like these and make sure the new house ticks most of them.
Keep strangers out
At the end of a tiring day, all you want is to order in pizza. But you don’t have to give the delivery boy your house or apartment number. If you live in a house, you can leave instructions to notify you when they arrive at the gate and meet them on the sidewalk where you can collect the pizza. Similarly, if you stay in an apartment, come out into the common area to meet them.
Download special apps for women
Today, there are tons of apps out there focused on the safety of women. Loaded with features that can unnerve even determined intruders, these apps are an absolute must-have on your phone if you are living alone.
Features that set off alarms, send audio recordings, message multiple emergency contacts at once, and send live GPS locations at the mere shake of your phone can save your life in dangerous situations.
Get some smart tech
You don’t have to be a tech geek to incorporate some simple, smart home accessories into your life. For example, pick up a couple of smart bulbs, which you can turn on even if you are having a late night.
Hook up Amazon’s Alexa, download the Alexa app on your smartphone, and you can command her to turn on the music from wherever you are. With the lights on in your living room and some pop songs playing who can tell if you are home or not?
This is very useful information. Despite having many laws, it is still not safe for a women to go outside or stay alone. It is also important to teach men to respect women and treat them properly and women should be taught self-defense. Thank you for sharing this information.