Women, Share With Me The Things You Do That Make You Feel Safe When Out And About

An unfortunate reality of being a woman is that we constantly live in a fight-or-flight state of mind. We are wary of walking alone at any time of the day, especially at night. Worried that we might be targeted out and about just because we are women. The list goes on, and I know we all feel this way.

A person wearing a puffy jacket walks on a dimly lit sidewalk lined with trees and streetlights at night
Zeynepkaya / Getty Images

Although I wish this weren't a way of life for us, it's important for us to have some safety tips in our back pocket to feel prepared and ready for anything.

So, I'm turning to the women of the BuzzFeed Community to share things you do to make yourself feel safer in public.

Maybe you never leave your home without carrying one of those mini alarms or pepper spray with you if you need to use it if you feel unsafe in public.

A person holds a can of pepper spray while opening a handbag outdoors
Evgen_prozhyrko / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Perhaps if you're alone in an elevator with someone else, you don't select your floor until they get off first.

Two people in an elevator, a woman holding a clipboard looking forward, and a man in a button-up shirt looking up
Yakobchukolena / Getty Images

Or maybe if someone asks for your number and you don't want to actually give it to them, you change one digit.

Over the shoulder view of woman holding smartphone with blank screen.

Over the shoulder view of woman holding smartphone with blank screen.

Prathanchorruangsak / Getty Images

Whatever your safety tip is, share it with the rest of us in this anonymous form or in the comments below!