There are times we all forget our surroundings, get distracted and otherwise fail to be mindful of ourselves and those around us. Here are a few strategies to be more mindful of our safety, and the safety of our family and friends.
Establish Patterns
Whether it’s which pocket we put our car keys in, how we walk from a store to the car, or where we put our concealed carry when we get home, establishing patterns can help us to be more mindful and consistent with our safety.
Car keys in the left pocket, means the right hand is more likely free to use a self-defense tool if needed. Immediately locking car doors when we get into the car, as a step to prevent carjacking. Being deliberate in what we do allows us to stay a step ahead. If we will always know where our tools are or what the plan is, we’re not struggling “in the moment” to find something and otherwise fumbling. And if we are taken off guard by someone or something, we will be better positioned to act.
Be Consistent in Daily Tasks:
- Keys in the same place/pocket. Whether it’s coming home, going to the store, moving from the store to the car, etc. do the same thing with your keys each time so they are always where you need them to be. Use one pocket, or get a carabiner and clip them to your belt loop or bag strap…just stay consistent so you never get distracted looking for them.
- Purse in the same place. When you come home or go to/from your vehicle, place you purse in the same spot so you cannot forget it. Ideally, a cross-body bag or something you never remove from your person is best. That way it can never be set down accidentally (or snatched away).
- Park Intentionally. Choose a place to park with intent. Do you have children with you? Park next to the cart return. Even if you must walk further, it’s worth not turning your back on your kids in the car. Do you have a blind spot in your vehicle or hate backing up in the dark? Park so you always pull forward and cannot be parked in by someone who might try to stop you from exiting a parking space.
- Limit phone use. Stay off your phone when navigating transitional spaces like parking lots, elevator, and save checking your messages until you are secure in your car.
These are just a few ways we can keep ourselves mindful and, in the moment, as we navigate daily life. Regarding concealed carry, there are other items we can add to this list that focus on our safety with a concealed carry tool.
Be Consistent with Concealed Carry Tasks:
- Know where your concealed carry is. This might seem ridiculous for anyone who is very mindful, but if, for example, your concealed carry is in your cross-body bag and you never open that compartment, this applies to you. It might be a good idea to open it every week at least and ensure that your pistol is in the correct position and that you don’t, say, have a stray tissue in your spare mag. It might sound crazy, but if you are the sort of person who leaves a concealed carry this way, admit that you need to be more consistent.
- Check your magazine and “press check” the chamber. While loading and unloading rounds repeatedly can be problematic (repeated chambering over time can push the round further into the case and create pressure issues. See 4th item below.), it’s still a good idea to confirm that your magazine is loaded by checking the chamber or doing a “press check,” where you press the slide slightly to see the case of the chambered round. In practice, this is the type of thing I would do if I picked up a different concealed carry that I only use occasionally.
- Inspect your sights and optic. This is a daily task. When you carry on your body and pick up the gun, look at your optic or sights and check them. This is where you’d see a missing fiber optic or dead battery.
- Inspect your ammo and practice. This is a once in a while type of task. But if you’ve had the same ammo in your magazine for six months, odds are you should go to the range and do some practice. Inspect the rounds, and if you have repeatedly loaded and unloaded the gun, compare the length of each round. Are any of them shorter than others? This could be the result of repeated chambering and unloading the same rounds.
- Dry fire weekly. This is the biggest reason a normal person might have rounds they repeated load and unload. They’re practicing with dry fire and must unload the gun each time they do so. Ideally, unload your gun and leave the ammo in another room when you dry fire. But it’s a great way to work on your draw and reloads, your grip and trigger control. Don’t be afraid to do it! Watch a few videos and use this tool. Even if it’s not weekly and just once a month, it’s time well-spent!
In the end, being mindful of our safety should be considered a lifestyle rather than a one-and-done task. Building habits and staying consistent with them will make us and those around us safer by increasing the likelihood that we have tools and the skills to use them at the ready.
