How to Be More Observant of Your Surroundings

Observation has always been an important part of human survival.

As living conditions get better for everyone around the world, however, we tend to become less aware of our surroundings. Technology draws us in and makes it harder to observe the vital things around us.

Staying safe goes hand-in-hand with being observant. Without seeing the details of the world, we put ourselves at risk.

If you're looking to improve your own perception, keep reading. Listed below are several ways to get better at this important skill.

Be Aware of Your Instincts

We all get those unexplainable feelings sometimes. You feel on edge for some reason, or you feel as though someone is watching you.

Most of the time, these instincts are telling you something important. Instead of brushing them off, use them as a guide.

If something feels off, look around and find out why. If someone makes you uncomfortable, walk away. Trusting your instincts is a great way to keep safe at all times.

After all, even those with the best self-defense skills can't use them if they don't know a situation calls for it.

Ask Questions

In order to keep your mind active and paying attention, it's good to ask questions. You don't even have to ask these questions out loud or to another person, although that helps if there's information you're lacking.

Sometimes asking them to yourself is enough to keep yourself engaged and perceptive.

To build up this skill, give yourself a few challenges when you walk into a new room. As yourself specific questions that make you observe the details.

How many people are wearing hats in this room? Where are all of the exits?

These kinds of questions force you to take a moment and observe your surroundings in a detailed way no matter where you are. At first, it may be distracting to do this. But soon it becomes a habit and your instincts improve because of it.

Keep Tabs on Body Language

The way a person holds their body shows a lot about their demeanor. When it comes to knowing whether a situation is safe or not, body language plays a big part.

Whenever you're conversing with someone, take note of how their body looks. Are they looming over you? Do they look relaxed or are they uncomfortable?

These cues tell you a lot about what to expect as the conversation moves forward. It also shows you when it's time to leave or even take out one of your self-defense products in preparation.

Listening isn't enough when it comes to interacting with other people. Always make sure to use your sight at the same time. A lot of the time, body language tells a different story than the words that a person uses.

Get Rid of Distractions

Cellphones, tablets, music players, handheld gaming devices, and more. These have all become a large part of our lives. And all of these are great sources of distraction that distance you from your current situation.

It's easy to miss any approaching dangers around us when watching a cute cat video or playing a fun game.

If you're looking to improve your overall perception, then putting these distractions away is a big step in the right direction. Staying in the moment is better than being oblivious to everything else around you.

Don't worry, you don't have to put your devices away forever!

Instead, become more mindful of how often your mobile devices take your attention away from the situation you're in. Setting them aside for even a few minutes improves your observation skills by a large margin.

Use All of Your Senses

No matter where you are, you should always use your five senses to your advantage. Seeing is important, but so are all of the others.

After all, sometimes it's easier to smell smoke than it is to see it. Using your sense of smell before falling back on sight alerts you to investigate the problem before it becomes even worse.

Relying only on a few senses blinds you to all the other important information. Remember to make use of every sense so that you're never missing out on something vital to your safety.

Keep Up With Local News

Observation means more than only noticing the details of your surroundings. Keeping up with everything going on in your city is important as well.

Without this extra knowledge, you might run into a bad situation that you could have avoided otherwise.

In between your other favorite shows, dedicate some time to watching the news. Find a local news site that makes it easy to read the headlines. It doesn't take too long to inform yourself about what's going on around your home.

Even skimming the news every once in a while makes it so that you're never caught off guard.

Take Photographs

Photography makes a person stop and observe in a way that no other activity does. In order to get that perfect shot, you'll want to try different angles and focuses. Instead of going for the obvious, photographers look for the underappreciated.

By learning this skill, you boost your observational skills at the same time. You start to see the world in a different way. Spotting details in your surroundings is a lot easier after you've taken some photographs.

If you're wanting to find a way to become more perceptive while gaining a new hobby, then photography is the best choice.

The Key To Being Observant is to Slow Down

With so many things do every day, it's easy to rush around. But one of the best things to do in order to be more observant is to slow down.

By slowing yourself down, you open yourself up to the details of your surroundings. Rushing past everything means you'll never notice when a situation is no longer safe.

Always remember to take an extra moment and look around. Those few extra seconds could make all the difference in a bad situation.

Although observation is vital to personal safety, there are many other ways to protect yourself as well. Check out our site today for more information about personal security.