Dealing With the Fear of Your Own Home

Perhaps you live alone, and a little natural anxiety is beginning to set in. Perhaps you’ve heard some unsettling news or rumors about your area. Or perhaps there’s been trouble around recently. Whatever the reason, feeling afraid in your own home is one of the most unpleasant sensations around, an insecurity that can stay with you for the whole day, and it’s important to tackle it as soon as possible. Here are a few ways to get your sense of “at home” back.

Protect It

Whether you’re simply feeling a sense of insecurity or there is real danger around your home, one of the best ways to get that feeling of security back is to protect the property. Think about installing real security measures. You can look here for some examples of alarm systems, home security systems, CCTV loops, and more that can all help you keep the home safer. Whether you live in a tiny home, a mobile home, a home on the water, there are security systems for every kind of home. More than keeping it safe, if potential criminals see CCTV systems or alarm systems from the exterior, they’re a lot less likely to target the home, to begin with.

Brighten It Up

Deterrence can be as effective as security, and when you have both paired together, that’s about as well protected as you can make the home. So, how do you deter potential troublemakers? Make it look like less of an easy target. Whether it’s burglars you’re concerned about, vandals, or troublesome neighbors, they most likely want to make their trouble with as little a risk of getting caught as possible. Just like CCTV systems, brightly lit homes make it too easy for them to be seen and identified. So, make the exterior of your home a lot brighter. If you have a lot of garden, then look at landscape lighting to make it a less viable hiding spot for anyone who would think of using it.

Know Thy Neighbors

No matter where you live, even if it’s only a temporary stop, you should get to know the people living around you. First of all, some familiarity and even friends in the local area will make your time there a lot richer. But the important thing is that you learn to recognize them, and they learn to recognize you. You can tell if they’re the ones hanging out near your home or not. Just as they can tell when that person hanging outside it is you and when it isn’t. What’s more, if you have a rapport, they’re a lot more likely to tell you if they have seen something suspicious.

Give It a Furry Friend

There is nothing that deters potential troublemakers quite like a dog. No doubt you’ve seen homes with the “Beware of Dog” signs even when the pet inside seems like a perfectly agreeable pooch. Dog owners know that their dogs make enough noise to give any criminal a serious headache. Consider looking here if you want a dog that’s for more than show and you want a genuine guard dog. If you are considering a guard dog, however, make sure it is fully trained and socialized or the instincts that make it such a good protector could one day turn on you. Beyond the deterrence and protection they offer, having some company can make you feel a lot safer and there’s nothing dogs are more famous for.

Move It

If you simply cannot feel safe in your home and none of the above tips are applicable or work, then it might be time to consider moving to another area. Of course, for those of you living the nomadic home lifestyle, that’s not too difficult at all. For those who are living a somewhat more rooted home existence, then downsizing by selling could be the most applicable solution. Though you’re almost guaranteed to get more for the home on the housing market, there are cash buying services that could give you a much quicker sale if you’re feeling like you need to move out as soon as possible for the sake of your own good.

There are a lot of smaller ways to help yourself feel more secure in your home, too. Getting self-defense lessons can help anyone feel a lot more competent about their bodily safety. The next time you start feeling anxious, talk to a friend about it. If they’re willing to call you at home, the voice of someone who understands can be a terrific comfort.

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