We wake up every day, carry on with our lives, and often never consider what is waiting for us around the corner. We forget about the terrible things that happen to people we don’t know. We forget about our own vulnerabilities.
People tend to adopt a mentality of invincibility, especially young adults, referred to in psychology as having a personal fable. A personal fable refers to one’s belief that they are exempt from the tragedies of life and that no difficulties can touch them. But terrible things can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Tragedy Strikes
On Feb. 22, 2024, 22-year-old Laken Riley was killed while on a run. She was an undergraduate nursing student at Augusta University, who was killed on the University of Georgia campus. As college women, when we hear about something like this happening, it shatters our invincibility. Laken was just like us, a young woman with a bright future. She was looking forward to becoming a nurse and putting goodness and brightness back into the world, but she will never get the chance to do that.
Laken was on the Dean’s List, and she loved running, dancing, and singing, but she barely got the chance to become an adult. She never got the chance to finish her education or graduate college. It’s devastating that people can’t simply go on a run, in a place that should be safe, without worrying about what might happen.
When I go for runs, I often find myself forgetting to take safety precautions. I assume that everything will be fine and that I have complete safety. What happened to Laken really reminds us that even places we think are safe can be deadly. It’s hard to believe that there are people in the world who would commit such crimes, but it is a reality we must face and accept in order to protect ourselves.
Tips for Safe Running or Walking
Running or walking outside is a great way to be active and destress, but enjoying yourself can be difficult if you are too concerned about safety. It is important to take safety precautions before leaving in order to alleviate stress. These precautions are often forgotten, but many of these interventions are easy to implement into your routine.
1) Bring safety Equipment
This is a simple way to be prepared, whether it is against animals or other people. Bringing pepper spray or a safety whistle can provide an extra layer of defense and make you more comfortable exercising alone.
2) Be aware of your surroundings
When exercising, it can be very easy to get in a zone and tune out what is around us. However, when alone, awareness is essential. One way to be aware is by limiting the use of AirPods or headphones. Even lowering the volume is a useful step.
3) pay attention TO TIME and location
Paying attention is a very important and simple way to be safer when out on a walk or run. When choosing a time of day, running or walking in the daylight is always the best move, allowing us to have more visibility and be more aware of our surroundings. Another aspect that a lot of people don’t usually consider is altering your schedule.
When exercising, it is very easy to fall into a steady schedule, especially during the semester when our exercise schedule is largely based on our classes. Exercising outside at different times every day is a safety measure that can be taken which ensures that nobody will know your schedule or be aware of when you are by yourself for an extended period of time. Location is another important factor. For optimal safety, routes should be chosen that are highly populated. If possible, running along a route where you know people who live in the area is even better.
4) Communication
Before even leaving to exercise, telling someone where you are going is an important first step. Communication about your workout plan and route, whether it is with a friend, parent, or sibling, is a good safety precaution to take. Communication is not only important before going for a workout outside, but also during. Always carry your phone or other form of communication with you and make sure the person you plan to call is aware of where you are going and the chance of your call.
5) Self-defense
Self-defense training is a way for people to feel more secure when working out by themselves. The University of Connecticut offers self-defense classes run by the police department. This program is offered during the academic year for students and participation is free. This precaution is a great way to be more prepared for potentially dangerous situations, not only when exercising, but throughout life.
6) Trust your instincts
This step is often more difficult than it seems because we don’t want to exaggerate or bother people for nothing, but it’s better to be safe and take more precautions than the opposite. For example, if you see a car maybe three times within a half hour and something about the situation makes you nervous, doing something as simple as calling a friend or family member is a way to put your mind at ease and, if there is any danger, having someone who is prepared to come and help if necessary. Along these lines, calling someone to come pick you up is another way to avoid a possibly unsafe situation.
conclusion
It’s hard to believe that bad things will happen to us. We assume that we’re invincible and everything will be fine because it’s always been fine in the past. This mindset often makes us forget about taking safety precautions. They can seem like a hindrance, one more thing in our busy lives that we have to remember, one more step to take, but that is one more step that could potentially save your life.