Are you annoyed that you get startled or jumpy easily, worried about your child wandering at night or a family member’s safety?
We sometimes must watch for things to avoid dangers or be attentive to our surroundings. It could be keeping a watchful eye on your child or adult with dementia.
You turn your back away for a brief moment only to see that a minute later, they are no longer found. You are now in constant anxiety, wondering where they are. Your limited hearing prevents you from benefiting from the audio cues telling you there is movement or activity around you.
It’s a balancing act when we are responsible for looking after others. We want the freedom to multi-task, especially if we do this independently. But we understand it’s a risk when we take our eyes off them.
Maybe you just don’t want to be jumpy and startled anymore. Your anxiety is high already, and you’re super hypervigilant. When the unexpected happens, your body is ready to fight or flight.
There are ways to make your life a little easier and calmer. This article will provide a few ideas that could help you. You’ll see several ideas that can provide you with an early warning without relying on audio cues to alert you to things that others with hearing don’t have to worry about.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read the disclosure for more details.
Mirrors
Mirrors are one of the least technical hacks you can use for your benefit. Mirrors can reflect your space to make your views larger and broader. A mirror placed in an area where you can see to reflect an area you can’t see is an easy hack. You’ll be able to see movements without turning around or moving, and where a wall is blocking, or your standing position isn’t exposing you to things.
Using multiple mirrors to attach together will allow you to build the size and shape of your wall.
Motion Sensor Lights
If you have an area indoors that’s dark or has little daylight, you might want to consider a motion detector that turns on a light. The idea is that using lights as your visual cues is a way to help you know that there is movement at some corner of the room.
The only downside is that if you have a pet that wanders around a bit, it will trigger an alarm often. Over time, you’ll ignore the alarm and start to lose sensitivity to events you want to be aware of.
Motion Detection
Sometimes, motion light detectors do not illuminate too brightly during the day but work okay at night. You want to have another way to be notified. It could be your app, a color light bulb, or something else.
Philips Hue offers interoperability with their smart system, allowing you to connect with other smart devices or a notification on your smartphone.
Door Open Detection
If you have kids that are old enough to be able to open their doors at night and wander around the house, and if you can’t hear them, you want to know their whereabouts.
It’s one thing to secure your cabinets and closets or place dangerous items in high places, but adventurous kids who want to explore or eat their favorite food will find a way without their parent’s permission.
Keeping your door open at night might help, but if you are deep in sleep, you may want to use your smartphone to help alert you to your child or a family member with cognitive decline who is opening their door at night.
Conclusion
Motion sensors are a great way to stay present and alert to your space without always being alert 24/7. You’ll feel much more relaxed knowing that others have done most of the work. These devices can act as our detectors where audio cues are lacking for us to know what is happening. It will allow you to do your chores and other activities around the house without worrying. It will help provide that early warning that some movement and activity is happening around you.
Looking for more product ideas?
Check our product finder for more solutions to support your daily activities.