5 Ways to Feel Safer if You Live Alone

Home safety is a fundamental part of self-defense and protection, no matter if you’re a homeowner or a renter. This is especially true for people who live alone.

While living alone can cause loneliness, as has been felt by many solo folks during the time of COVID-19, it can also lead to bouts of anxiety, where a person becomes worried that they may be more susceptible to a break-in and crime. 

This anxiety is understandable, especially if you hear the random bump in the night while living by yourself, but it doesn’t have to be justified. A few simple tips can help you feel safer while living alone. Here are five of our favorite ways to help you feel safer in your space. 

1. Install a home security system.

One of the best things you can consider doing once moving into a new place by yourself is to install a security system. For some individuals, this might involve installing a thorough alarm system that is interconnected throughout your residence, becoming triggered anytime the system is tripped by a door or window that is opened unexpectedly. 

For others, this can involve simple measures of protection, such as a door stop wedge. Placed behind your door once you are inside of your residence, this device is intended to stop a door from fully opening, even if its lock is picked or the door is kicked in. Moreover, most of these devices come with an installed alarm, meaning you’ll be alerted if a person attempts to break into your home whether you’re asleep or working with headphones on. 

Whatever system you choose to rely on, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Home security systems can become expensive quickly. Rather than spending a lot, take the time to do your research until you find a product that meets your needs. 

2. Get a doorbell camera.

Doorbell cameras have made it easier than ever to feel comfortable within your home. Placed beside your front door, they make it easy to record the people coming and going from your residence throughout the day and late at night.

Uninvited guest knocking on your door? Check your doorbell camera through an app on your smartphone to determine if it’s someone you know. If it’s not, and they seem rather sketchy, you can make an informed decision to call the police for assistance. 

Noticed that packages are regularly going missing from your front door and worried that someone might be casing your house at the same time? Use your doorbell camera to identify the suspect and capture footage of them. This can be sent off to the police, who can work to identify and arrest the person for you, helping you know that risk is no longer an issue. 

3. Keep your lights on both while you’re out and at home.

A simple way to improve your feeling of safety whether at home or away is by keeping the lights on. Some studies have shown that the presence of nighttime lighting can deter criminals. Part of the reason is that lighting removes the cloak of darkness, meaning it can be easier for witnesses to identify their activities; moreover, lighting within houses might mean that a family is at home. This act of mimicry can work to your advantage, causing intruders to move past your residence from the worry of being caught in the act. 

If you want to take it a step further, you can employ modern advancements such as motion-detecting lights and smart home lighting systems. The former, when used on the outside of your residence, can help you identify any unwanted criminals as they approach your house at night, in the hope they will be scared off by the sudden flash of light. 

Similarly, smart home lights—controlled by your smartphone or a tablet—can let you control your home lighting system even while you’re not there, letting you turn on lights at night to make it appear as if someone is home and awake. 

4. Become acquainted with your neighbors.

Beyond being a nice neighbor out of civility, you should consider becoming acquainted with your neighbors for your own personal safety. We, as humans, don’t like getting involved in the business of others, thinking that someone else will take care of whatever is going wrong. Your neighbors might do the same if they ever see suspicious activity at your home, especially if they don’t know you very well. 

Get to know your neighbors to improve your line of defense. They’ll become more aware of your regular schedule because of this, such as whether you work during the day or if you have regular visitors. While their interest in your life might be considered nosy, it could work out in your favor, leading them to question and scare off potential intruders. 

5. Know your exit plan.

Living alone means that only you can handle an emergency when it arises. Since no one else will be around to help you exit a dangerous situation, you’ll need to be prepared in the event that one arises. For anyone living alone, this means taking the time to understand how you can exit your home in the event of a dangerous scenario, whether it is a fire, home break-in, or visitation of a stalker. Consider your options ahead of time so you can act out of instinct in the moment, getting away safely and free of harm.

Living alone doesn’t have to involve taking unnecessary risks because there is no one else around. With precaution and preparation, you can effectively safeguard yourself against potential dangers, allowing you to safely live alone. 

7 Home Security Risks You May Have Overlooked

Being a homeowner is no simple task. The responsibilities of homeownership are wide-reaching, requiring a significant amount of attention to detail to ensure that your home is protected at all times. 

But beyond basic home maintenance requirements going overlooked, your home may be at risk for another reason altogether: It might be a target for criminals. 

There are a number of ways your home could be at risk for break-ins and theft. What do these risks look like? Here are seven security risks you may have overlooked as a homeowner, and that should be remediated immediately. 

1. Hiding your keys in stereotypical places.

Do you have a spare set of house keys hidden somewhere around your property? Most people do. It’s a simple way to access your home in the event that you misplace your main house key. But are you the type of person who hides your key in a place that many other homeowners rely on?

For instance, is your spare key hidden behind that one big, unique rock in the garden? Is it hidden under your welcome mat? Is it placed beneath the strange-looking garden gnome by your front steps? These are all places that criminals know to look for—too many people rely on them, and they’ve become common knowledge for that very reason. 

Key hiders remove this issue, though, as they allow you to hide items in spots that don’t seem obvious at all. Now you can keep a set of spare keys around without their hiding spot garnering the attention of an unwanted intruder.

2. Not having a security camera by your front door. 

Hidden outdoor security cameras go a long way toward protecting your home. A security camera placed by the main entrances of your home—front door, rear sliding door, garage entrance—can be enough to deter a criminal. The reason is that when in plain sight, they’ll be noticed by someone attempting to case your home. The sight of a camera is an immediate deterrence, as it alerts them that they will be caught on camera if they attempt to do anything illegal, thus protecting you against a potential break-in.  

3. Not having enough outdoor lighting.

Similar to having cameras placed on the outside of your home, pointed at entrances, criminals are deterred by the possibility of being seen—there’s a reason most crimes take place at night! To deter crimes from taking place, you should install outdoor lighting around your property, particularly around entrances of your home and property. This can include the end of your driveway, over your front door, and across your back porch.

Motion-activated lights are the best option when considering your choices, as they can conserve energy by not being on all night, only being activated when a person’s movements are captured in their field of view. The second those lights come on, a criminal is sure to be set running for the hills. 

4. Keeping in-home valuables out in the open.

One of the biggest security risks you can do is bring attention to your home. One way that many people do this is by having their most valuable possessions out on display for others to see. This can include jewelry, paintings, heirlooms, silverware, and more. Anyone casing your home is going to look for these possessions when peering through your windows, determining whether your house is worth robbing or not. 

Utilize secret hiding places to protect your most valuable items, whether from day-to-day or for when you go on vacation. While you won’t be able to hide larger items, such as a television, you can protect the items that matter most by storing them away inside of an in-home safe or an unexpected hiding spot. 

5. Posting your address and life activities online. 

Like the above, you don’t want to bring attention to your home. While it might feel tempting to post photos of your house from time to time, especially when you decorate your home for the holidays, you might be doxing yourself—allowing strangers to identify where you live. 

This, alone, is bad enough, as they can begin following your life to determine when you are and aren’t at home. For instance, if you’ve already doxed your location, you’re in trouble if you begin posting Instagram photos of you and your family away on vacation. This is an immediate signal that your home is open for a potential break-in and major theft. 

Avoid sharing too much information online. It could protect you in the end. 

6. Letting your mail pile up while you’re away. 

Like letting the internet know that you’re going away for vacation, there are other simple tips that can let a potential burglar know that you’re away from home. One of the simplest ones is allowing your mail to pile up in your house’s mailbox. An overflowing mailbox will be a sign that a family is away from home, likely on a vacation, leaving their house entirely vulnerable. 

To avoid this, either contact the post office and ask them to suspend delivery service while you’re away or simply ask a friend or trusted neighbor to collect your mail for you every day. This simple task can help deter criminals from targeting your home while you’re away.
7. Not having a home security system.

No modern home should be without an alarm system. They’re affordable enough nowadays that anyone can implement a form of home security. Best of all, top-rated home security systems aren’t as expensive as they once were, meaning you can arm and protect your home without breaking the bank. Consider exploring the numerous options available to find the type of security that works best for your home. 

If you recognized one of these risks to your home, you should take the time to fix it. Protect your home before it’s too late. The safety of your family and your wallet are at stake. 

The Dangers of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Home

The “better living through chemistry” that the 20th century promised us has not always been the truth. Take, for instance, volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These are chemicals that easily shift from solid or liquid to vapor. The term “organic” may lead you to believe that VOCs occur naturally, but this really refers to their chemical makeup involving hydrogen and carbon. Most are actually created in laboratories. Some VOCs that you may recognize are known carcinogens such as benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene.

Look around your home—you won’t see the VOCs themselves, but you’ll see plenty of things that contain them. Wood flooring, whether natural or artificial, surely contains VOCs. So too does the upholstery of your furniture and the paint on the walls. The dangers of volatile organic compounds in the home are numerous, and VOCs can affect your body in many ways. Here are some of the concerns you should have and the cautions you should take to prevent their release as best you can.

Breathing Problems

Home products that have been treated with VOCs are designed to be safe at room temperature and low humidity. When those conditions shift, the volatility of volatile organic compounds comes into play. High heat and humidity cause a process called off-gassing, in which products release these VOCs into the air. These compounds commonly cause breathing problems by irritating nose, throat, and lung tissue. Keep your home at manageable heat and humidity levels to avoid releasing and inhaling these chemicals.

Headaches and Nausea

What may seem like a bad migraine or sinus headache may actually be acute exposure to VOCs. Inhalation of volatile organic compounds in spray paints, cleaning solvents, and wood treatments can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. When you’re working with these chemicals, be sure to optimize your ventilation if you cannot work outdoors. The VOCs these products emit can exist in high concentrations.

Eye Irritation

Exposure to VOCs, whether from use of products containing them or household off-gassing, can irritate the eyes, causing dry, red, and itchy eyes. Consider using eye protection if you’re working with solvents and you notice irritation from the fumes. If you can’t identify a source of eye irritation, off-gassing may be the culprit, requiring you to take a serious look at your HVAC system’s ability to mitigate heat and humidity.

Nervous System Damage

Most alarming and severe among the dangers of volatile organic compounds in the home is the neurotoxicity many of these chemicals exhibit. Long-term exposure to VOCs may cause damage to the central nervous system, including recognizable brain damage such as dementia. Avoid long-term use of products containing VOCs in unventilated areas—the serious and irreversible damage is not worth the enjoyment of any hobby.

Guest Post - Eco-Friendly Storage Tips

Today, preserving the environment is now one of our foremost priorities. One of the easiest ways to lessen our impact is to use the 3Rs in our everyday lives: reduce, reuse, and recycle. 

This sounds like a tired, old environmental campaign but, up until today, it is still proven to be one of the most practical ways to reduce waste. So, by simply following the 3Rs, we can give the environment a huge break. As an added benefit, it’s also best to focus on eco-friendly storage to further reduce waste production. This article outlines some practical tips for upcycling used items as eco-friendly storage.

How to Upcycle Used Items for Eco-Friendly Storage

According to new waste generation and recycling statistics, the world will have reached an estimated population of 8.5 billion people. This also means that more and more resources will be extracted and thrown to satisfy the needs of these people. This growing population and increased production and disposal of materials highlight the absolute need to reduce, reuse, and recycle items.

As an individual person, you can do your part by starting with your habits, routines, and organizational systems such as re-thinking how you store simple household items. So, instead of buying yet another plastic bin to store toys or getting new pots for your plants, here are some tips on how to organize things in your home in an eco-friendly way.

Don’t throw away plastic bags

Single-use plastic bags are among the most numerous waste materials dumped into the environment. That’s why it’s best to use a recyclable bag so you can store groceries and other items in it. There’s no need to use plastic bags which you’ll just throw away after emptying its contents.

But you can reduce the dumping of plastic bags by giving them a second life. Here are some common ways:

• Use them as a liner for your trash bin. 

• Use them as a waterproof pouch for your cell phone, batteries, headphones, and other small electronics. 

• When taking out your dog for a walk, bring a couple of plastic bags with you; you can use them as poop bags.

Plastic bags are quite tough. So you use a plastic bag over and over again. For example, if you’re a prolific camper or traveler, you can use the same plastic bag to keep your fresh clothes dry.

You can also get creative and take on DIY projects using plastic bags or grocery bags.

COVID-19 Tip: Reusable grocery bags are usually made out of synthetic fiber material called low-density polyethylene. According to this how-to video from CBC News: The National, reusable grocery bags can be cut and used as a 2nd or 3rd protective lining for fabric or 2-ply face masks.

Reuse plastic bottles

Like plastic bags, single-use plastic bottles take up a lot of landfill space and contribute to the global plastic pollution problem. The best way to deal with plastic bottles is to lessen their use in the first place. For example, you may want to bring along your own reusable water bottle or thermos so you don’t have to buy bottled water.

If you have empty plastic bottles though, you can use them to store household liquids such as dishwashing liquid, all-purpose cleaner, or liquid floor wax. Just make sure that you’re storing a liquid that doesn’t eat through the plastic.

Bring plastic bottles with you if you’re going to a zero-waste store. Use it to refill stuff such as shampoo, lotion, body oil, and soap. By using a plastic bottle, you don’t have to buy pots and jars that zero-waste stores often sell.

Finally, if you’re a hiker, use plastic bottles to store foodstuffs such as grains, sauces, spices, or raw de-shelled eggs for scrambling. By closing the lid securely, you can prevent any kind of spill, no matter how vigorous your adventure is.

Repurpose empty boxes

Empty boxes are almost ubiquitous in your home. They came along when you bought shoes, clothes, appliances, and many other things. Use them as storage units rather than buying new storage bins. You can store tools, craft supplies, beauty products, jewelry, and many other household items in those boxes. Think about it: you get readily available storage units---for free!

Reuse empty glass or plastic jars

Have you recently run out of coconut oil, pickles, or mayonnaise? Peel off the label, wash them thoroughly and dry them. Once dry, you can use these jars to organize items such as pens, kitchen utensils, and art brushes. You can also reuse them to store foodstuff and ingredients such as cereal, grains, oats, and spices.

If you have a crafty side, you can use these jars as decorative holders for scented candles, pendant lights, chimes, and more. Check out this link for creative ideas about repurposing empty jars.

Reuse empty bottles

Do you have empty glass bottles at home? Don’t throw them away, especially if they look really interesting. After taking off the label and washing them, you can use empty bottles as cool-looking flower bases. The long narrow neck and the small opening of the bottle make them ideal for securely holding a bunch of stems.

Glass bottles are also perfect for storing liquid kitchen ingredients such as cooking oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and more.

Search for unused cabinet spaces and drawers

Check your cabinets or shelves; it’s likely you’ll find an empty or underutilized space. Use this space to store towels, washcloths, bed sheets, curtains, and other linen. Smaller drawers can be used to store and organize table napkins, tissue papers, blotting papers, boxes of wipes, and more.

Repurpose empty baskets

Woven or rattan baskets are perfect storage spaces. Place one at the front door where people can put their shoes and flip-flops in. You can also put one beside the living couch where you can store magazines, books, and other reading materials. Or you can use one to store dirty clothes to be laundered.

Use strips of cloth or strings as cable ties

Messy cables and wires only provide clutter to workstations and home entertainment centers. Organize tangled keyboards by using ties. Now, you don’t have to buy those plastic one-use ties. You can use strips of cloth from old shirts or jute strings to tie down those cables.

Conclusion

Many items that we have in our homes and offices that we deem ready to throw away can be reused. The tips above are just some of the ways in which you can use such items rather than chucking them in the trash bin. By repurposing and upcycling these items, we exercise the 3Rs, reduce waste, and preserve Mother Nature.

About the Author:

Brett is a writer at ID-Mag. An enthusiast and expert when it comes to sleep products, Brett dedicates a lot of his time reading, researching, and reviewing about both traditional and emerging sleep brands that manufacture varied types of sleep products – from eco-mattresses, smart pillows to cooling sleep systems, Brett has probably reviewed them all. Brett also finds sleep especially important since he juggles a small business which he runs from home, makes sure he spends time with his daughter and he also writes during his spare time – you can definitely see that he needs a great forty winks all night, every night so he’ll make sure that you get great sleep, too!