Make sure your house or flat is secure and always secure outside doors and if possible fit barrel locks top and bottom.

If you have to use a key, keep it in a safe place away from the door, where you can find it quickly in an emergency – you may need to use the door in the event of fire.

If other people such as previous tenants could still have keys that fit, change the locks and under no circumstances give keys to workmen or tradesmen, as they can easily make copies.

If you wake to hear the sound of an intruder, only you can decide how best to handle the situation.

You may want to lie quietly to avoid attracting attention to yourself, in the hope that they will leave, or you may feel more confident if you switch on the lights and make a lot of noise by moving about.

Even if you’re on your own, call out loudly to an imaginary companion most burglars will flee empty-handed rather than risking a confrontation.

Ring the police as soon as it’s safe for you to do so and remember a simple precaution like a telephone extension in your bedroom will make you feel more secure as it allows you to call the police immediately, without alerting the intruder.

Draw your curtains after dark and if you think there is a prowler outside – dial 999.

Use only your surname and initials in the telephone directory and on the doorplate that way a stranger won’t know if a man or a woman who lives there.

If you see signs of a break-in at your home, like a smashed window or open door, don’t go in. Go to a neighbour and call the police.

If you are selling your home, don’t show people around on your own always ask your estate agent to send a representative with anyone who wants to view your house.

When you answer the phone, simply say ‘hello’, don’t give your number If the caller claims to have a wrong number, ask him or her to repeat the number required, that way you don’t give out your own number.

Never reveal any information about yourself to a stranger and never say you are alone in the house.

If you receive an abusive or threatening phone call, put the receiver down beside the phone, and walk away, come back a few minutes later and replace the receiver; don’t listen to see if the caller is still there.

If they are still there, don’t say anything – an emotional reaction is just what the caller wants.

This allows the caller to say what he or she wants to say, without causing distress to you.

If the calls continue, tell the police and the operator and keep a record of the date, time and content of each phone call this may help the authorities trace the caller

Best wishes,

Garth Delikan

The Lifestyle Guy – Personal Empowerment Coach

Don’t be afraid to use your voice, it’s one of your most potent weapons!

An assailant is looking for a “victim” an easy target, someone to be intimidated.

Just ensure that you are not that person.

If you are cornered or threatened use your voice forcefully and don’t be afraid to scream and shout (in fact in my presentations I wholeheartedly endorse the use of “profanity” or swear words) as this will again serve to highlight your situation and again just to illustrate my point, I’d like you to cast your mind back  to a time when you where walking down the street and lo and behold there was a couple of people having a right old barney!

Now you’re not going to tell me that you just walked by and ignored it completely, are you?

Of course not, you might not have stopped but I bet you had a good old look to see what was going on

You didn’t actually do anything but you did have a look, its only human nature to be nosey!

Use that natural nosiness to your own advantage and draw attention to yourself as soon as possible.

If you do get into the unfortunate situation of being accosted accosted and really do feel that your personal safety is being threatened, this is not a time to be shy and retiring.

Everything hinges on you acting instantly and without hesitation, this is your split second advantage so use it.

And I don’t mean just shout as if you were angry and having an argument with someone you know, I’m talking about a full on “bellow” here, straight from the lungs, and ideally if you’re able to – scream and shout directly into their faces as this will also have an incredibly disorientating effect on them and also serve to confuse them momentarily giving you that split second to get to a place of safety!

The senses can’t withstand a full on assault and chances are that they will back off momentarily.

If you’re wrong it doesn’t matter, you can always apologise later (that’s if they haven’t run off in complete fear and confusion first) but if the situation is real it could make all the difference and protect you from real harm.

REMEMBER! I am only advocating buying yourself a split second or at most two to three seconds, but that could be all the time it takes for you to get to a place of safety.

Best wishes,

Garth Delikan

The Lifestyle Guy – Personal Empowerment Coach