How to Establish the Habit of Concealed Carry
This is one part of our series of articles about reasons those with a concealed carry permit stop carrying concealed. Please visit this introductory post to learn more about this series of articles. Every Day Carry (EDC) is a habit we think is important for those who've decided to carry a firearm as a defensive tool.
Isn't it a good thing Eli had the right to possess a firearm, and carried it regularly?
As humans, we are natural creatures of habit. The mind and body both thrive in repetition. Building habits and breaking habits can be difficult, but I'm writing this article to help someone who has either never developed the habit of carrying concealed or has fallen out of the habit.
As well-intentioned as you may be, carrying a concealed firearm may not be a part of your everyday lifestyle. And make no mistake, it is a lifestyle. For some, it's a big change in lifestyle.
Establishing The Habit—
If you want to establish the habit of carrying concealed, you must first understand how we form habits and how to break one. All habits comprise 3 key parts: The Cue, The Routine, and The Reward.
The Cue is the thing in the environment that triggers in our sub-conscious the desire or need to follow the routine. Cues can be anything from hunger, time of day, weather conditions, smells, and much more.
With carrying a concealed firearm, common cues might include getting dressed in the morning, walking past the gun safe, seeing the gun safe, or other things that we do while preparing ourselves for the day that trigger a sub-conscious thought or desire.
The Routine is the actual action that we take and the part of the habit most of us think of. With carrying your concealed firearm the routine is the actual holstering of the weapon on your body or in your concealment system.
The Reward is the reaction that the routine triggers. This is often a feeling, physical or emotional, that we crave from practicing the routine. With EDC, the reward may be the physical feeling of the firearm on your body or the peace of mind of knowing that you are better prepared for deadly threats.
This feeling of reward often creates a feeling of nakedness when you don't have your gun on after you've reached a certain point.
With that clarity, please consider some of the following tips and adapt them to your own situation:
- The most critical part of creating or recreating your concealed carry habit is establishing a strong cue that will trigger or remind you to arm yourself. Potential cues may include:
- Putting the gun safe somewhere in the bedroom where you will look at it and or touch it during your dressing routine.
- Putting something on your keychain that serves no other purpose than to remind you to get your gun. When you pick up your keys, you will see and feel the cue item and retrieve the firearm.
- Choose a cue that is part of EVERY day's routine regardless of it being a workday, holiday, weekend, etc.
- Keep your holster in the same place as you do your pants, shirts, or belts, so you can quickly attach it as you dress.
- As you grab the firearm and slip it into the holster, create a specific routine of actions in this process as well. This may include performing an inspection on the firearm or optic before loading the magazine or other very specific steps, such as a press check, that form a simple process out of arming yourself.
Gear Matters—
Establishing a habit of carrying your firearm will be a lot easier if you have a holster that is comfortable and conceals well. However, selecting a holster can prove quite difficult, so we've written many how to articles to help you make an educated decision. Here is just one of the many articles. We also created an exceptionally thorough online course that takes the concepts from our articles and expounds them more deeply.
Finally, this all has to come from a desire to WANT to carry every day. If you're not there yet, the above steps may not work for you.
Other Considerations—
The obvious thought when we hear the phrase ‘concealed carry' is carrying a handgun concealed. However, there are other things you may want to consider carrying every day along with, or until you establish a habit of carrying a gun every day. Some of these items are:
- The Important Distinction Between A First-Aid Kit and A Trauma Kit
- VIDEO Review : Presidia Gel — Effective, Less Lethal CS Spray
- Benefits of an EDC Knife
I hope that this has been insightful and will serve to encourage you, if you are not currently in the habit of carrying a concealed gun for self-defense, to once again raise yourself to this most critical level of preparedness.
Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Original publish date June, 2015.
Have adopted the concealed carry lifestyle over the last couple of years, in great part thanks to all of the teaching and training you guys provide. Took me over a year to binge listen to all the podcasts every time I was driving – what a wealth of knowledge you guys provide! Have found the lifestyle is really a constant process of learning and adjusting. Through trying different clothing, holsters, guns, etc, there’s always new things to learn and ways to improve. I do kinda feel naked now if I’m not carrying! Thanks for all you do, keep up the great work!
I even carry mine when in my home! When I take it off to sleep its on my nightstand! Its part of “me!”
Pretty much my routine..If I an not in bed, I’m carrying.
Right you are. If I’m dressed, I’m armed. I no longer have kids in the house, so my holster is on whatever I’m wearing, then on tomorrow’s pants. The EDC is on the pants already. Weapons are staged in the house, shotguns, rifles, handguns.
Do you have any advice for a guy who works at his home computer 6+ hours a day, goes outside for a daily stroll down his cul-de-sac street, and grabs his firearm only when on a run to the store? Is carrying in and around the house *that* important? This is an honest question. I’ve gone back and forth in my head for a long time, so your advice is welcome!
Nelson, you are not alone. This is a common approach to concealed carry. The decision to carry is ultimately a balance of convenience and risk. You currently feel that the risk is low enough and the convenience is low enough that it doesn’t justify wearing the gun when at home. I disagree, but of course its a personal decision. Wearing the gun at home should be extremely convenient because concealment isn’t necessary. You can use an OWB holster if you want. Further, risk may feel low because you are in a fortified position but yet statistically a larger percentage of defensive gun uses take place in one’s home than outside of the home. Additionally, thinking you will have time to get to the gun may or may not be true depending on the circumstances. A good discussion on the topic can be found here https://www.concealedcarry.com/safety/episode-144-home-carry-247-readiness/
I had exactly the same concern. I work from home, walk the dogs twice a day and occasionally run to the store. What I ended up doing is carrying even when I am home. It does on when I get up and comes off when I dress for bed. Took a while to get use to, but now it’s a habit
Yes carrying in the home is very important. As someone who has had someone walk into my house unexpectedly with no knock. The shock amd panic of my gun is on the otherside of the house was not pleasant. Thankfully this time it was my father who never knocks when he walks into my house. For reference or house layout has the front door down a hallway we cant see into from anywhere in the house but the bedroom door due to a 90 degree turn to the right into the livingroom.
Another good idea, is to look into a paddle-style holster that can be easily utilized when leaving your house and then put in a safe place while you’re at home. However, I always have a firearm ready to use at a moment’s notice.
Because the course of your life can be changed at a moment’s notice. If properly prepared, that course is up to you. If you’re not properly prepared, that course is up to someone else.
Best wishes to you.
Carry all the time, even at home. Make sure you have a comfortable holster that doesn’t dig into you. As for myself I carry a very concealable .380 in a pocket holster. I forget its even there. One of the big dangers in higher crime area’s is Home Invasion Robberies’. You will wish you carried around the house if it happens to you. Good luck and hope you never have to use your weapon.
If your are going to carry, then carry. Carry all the time (I’m talking concealed). A big part of who will carry all the time is whether or not they are comfortable. I’m not talking about comfortable with being a concealed carrier, I’m talking about being comfortable wearing your holster and gun. Your holster needs to be comfortable to wear and your gun needs to be something that fits snug and does not jab your skin all day long. If your holster and gun combination is comfortable to wear you will be more likely to actually wear it.
The point you make here is one my motivators for staying in shape. I appendix carry, so to be comfortable all day with it, I have to keep my abdomen in shape.
I carry mine every where except if the sign says no firearms allowed.
Loved this article. It is true that CC has to be a daily habit just like eating and dressing. I have cue’s that get me every time I get ready to leave my house. My safe is in my bedroom, I feel like something is missing if I start out of my house without my gun. It has not been easy to develop this habit. There are times when I would rather not carry, and yet I always do. Dressing for CC is just tough no other way around it. But the reward is, to me, POM. “Peace of Mind.”
Great article, thank you. My wife and I have had CCW LICENSES for 8 years but seldom carry. I do have a fire arm in my car. We have pepper sprays and carry them. I am going to step it up and get in the habit of carrying.
A firearm in you car won’t do you any good in a home invasion robbery. Also I hate leaving my firearm in the car do you car burglaries, or stolen vehicles. Say goodbye to you firearm if it was in your compartment if someone breaks into your car. My wife has a concealed carry purrse that’s excellent. Unzip one zipper and her 38 Spl. is right there. However wear the purse all the time. Some women leave it in the shopping cart while shopping. Bad idea. I’m trying to get her to change from a Colt 38 to a semi automatic because of the round capacity. 5 vs 8.
IVE BEEN ATTACKED IN MY HOME IN 05 IM BOTH A WOMAN AND A VETERAN AND HAD JUST HAD A FIREARM FOR MAYBE A MONTH OR SO AND JUST BEEN USING FOR THE RANGE AND HOME DEFENSE HOWEVER IT WAS THE CABLE GUY WHO I HAD LET IN ONLY TO REMEMBER HAVING A CLOTH BEING PUT OVER MY FACE AND IN NO WAY HAD TIME TO GET EVEN A THOUGHT TO GET TO IT AS IT HAPPENED THAT FAST.. NOW I EITHER WEAR A SHOULDER HOLSTER IN MY APT OR WEAR MY FAV ALIEN GEAR OWB CC HOLSTER. I DONT LIKE IT IN A SAFE IN THE SENSE AS THOSE FEW SECONDS TO MINUTE IT TAKES TO GET IN TO GET IT OUT IS TIME YOU DONT HAVE. TRUST ME!
I don’t carry a lot because in NY they have made so many new laws to where you can’t carry a firearm. It’s worse than before the Scopus said it was unconstitutional to not let us carry a firearm. After NY got the word it took 3 days for the new laws to roll out.
Perfect example of why to carry at home. Well said Pamela.