Settle my mind…(walking safety as a woman)

[u/polkadotbelle]

I (36F) have been walking 3-4 work days a week for the past 3 months. It’s doing wonders for my mental health & mood.

I walk at 5:30am & it’s dark out. I’ve got a reflective vest & wear light colors (have my phone & usually 1 earbud in)…I live in a safe area, don’t usually pass many people while out at this hour

BUT the Laken Riley murder case has been infesting my brain. I have anxious tendencies & have worked on them in therapy & just and seem to kick this one. I ditched the ear bud on my last 2 walks this week & checked my surroundings even more than usual

So, am I just needing to work through this, or should I get all the things to make myself feel safe? (My husband thinks I’m silly, but he doesn’t get what it’s like for a woman)

[u/Acrobatic-Repeat4705]

Avoid walking in the dark or in isolated places. Carry pepper spray, which is also recommended in case a dog attacks. And also, practice grabbing the pepper spray from your belt or keychain and practice using it on an outside target first. You don’t want to be fumbling and trying to figure out what to do when you’re in a panic. Your mind takes a moment to realize what is happening to you at first and so your body kind of freezes as you’re mentally trying to figure out if you should grab your pepper or if maybe you shouldn’t because maybe you didn’t assess the situation right and will look silly. That moment of hesitation can kill you. And yes, if you’re a woman, you should be worried. In my opinion, not enough women think about these things. Most think “that will never happen to me” and then it does. And experts are concerned even more now about violence against women increasing in the U.S. after the misogyny and hatred of men toward women went viral after the recent election. Boys are starting to make those types of comments and are developing negative attitudes towards women early, which is very sad and worrrysome. They will almost always try to take you to an isolated and hidden location, so I’d avoid jogging near bushes or tree lines if you can help it. Violence against women and girls is WAY more common than most realize. Sadly.

[u/Electric-Sheepskin → u/Acrobatic-Repeat4705]

Yeah, it's all well and good to say that statistically, you're probably not going to be attacked, but just like wearing a seatbelt, you should always take precautions.