Question and Answer activity:

What does it mean to feel and be safe?

Safety can be defined as feeling free from harm or hurt. It is also a feeling of being internally relaxed. Being safe is making sure you are not harmed physically or mentally by something.

Feeling safe is being sure and content that you are not going to come to physical or mental harm. It brings comfort and happiness.

When might we feel unsafe?

A feeling of being unsafe may come when we think or know that harm is going to come to us. It comes when we are unsure about what may happen and are thinking about the awful things that could potentially happen to us.

I may feel this way when walking through a dark and quiet part of town or walking to my car in an empty car park. I always make sure to call a friend so they know where I am, and it may steer away dangerous people. I feel unsafe when I’m in or near the ocean, but I think that is because it is a phobia of mine. People can feel unsafe for reasons that are not quite logical, especially when it comes to some phobias. I feel unsafe in big crowds of people and when I am somewhere where I don’t know my way around.

I think most of my reasons for feeling unsafe is because I am afraid and wary of other people. Not much else concerns me in that way.

What happens when we feel unsafe?

When feeling unsafe, we start to have feelings of anxiety and stress. Our heart rate and rate of breathing speeds up and we can go into a panic, and when in a unsafe situation this can pose more danger to us. Which is why it is incredibly important to manage our emotions in these moments.

What can we do to make ourselves feel safe?

• Call a friend.
• Go to our comfort zone e.g. a bedroom, a favourite location, somewhere quiet such as the beach or taking a walk.
• Play some music.
• Find a distraction from the thing that is making us feel that way.
• Find a blanket or big hoody to bring comfort and security.