Being a defendant in a trial is one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through. The uncertainty alone is enough to consume you. You don’t know the outcome. You don’t control the timeline. Your future feels like it’s in someone else’s hands. And the process moves slowly enough that the anxiety has time to settle into every part of your daily life.
Some of that stress is unavoidable. The stakes are real, and pretending otherwise doesn’t help. But there’s a difference between carrying the weight of a serious situation and letting it crush you. The people who get through a trial intact are the ones who take deliberate steps to manage their mental and physical health throughout the process rather than white-knuckling it from start to finish.
Hiring the Right Attorney
Hiring a good lawyer is the single most important thing you can do for your stress level during a trial. A good criminal defense attorney gives you something that’s almost impossible to find on your own during a trial: peace of mind about the process.
When you trust your attorney’s competence and judgment, you stop trying to manage things that aren’t yours to manage. You also stop second-guessing every decision and learn to relinquish some of the control you feel like you have in your mind.
If you haven’t hired an attorney yet, or if you have one and you don’t feel confident in them, addressing that is the first priority. Nothing else matters until you get this squared away.
Protecting Your Sleep
Sleep is the first casualty of trial stress, and losing it makes everything worse. When stress causes you to sleep poorly, it impacts your mood and your physical health. If your trial lasts for weeks or months at a time, this can really take a toll on you.
Protecting your sleep requires intention. Here are a few best practices worth implementing:
- Keep a consistent bedtime and wake time, even when your schedule feels chaotic.
- Avoid screens for at least an hour before bed.
- Keep the bedroom cool and dark.
- Cut off caffeine by early afternoon at the latest.
By the way, let’s talk about alcohol. It’s tempting to have a few drinks at night during a stressful trial, but it disrupts your sleep and makes you feel worse in the morning. During a trial, you need quality rest more than you need a nightcap. It’s best to avoid alcohol during a trial and to instead prioritize healthy habits that make it easier to sleep.
Moving Your Body
Exercise is one of the most effective stress management tools available, and it doesn’t require a gym or a structured program. A 30-minute walk can do wonders for your mental state. It reduces cortisol levels and simultaneously releases endorphins. It also gives your brain something to process other than the trial.
If you already have an exercise routine, protect it during the trial period. Don’t let the stress and schedule disruptions push it aside. If you don’t have a routine, start with walking every day. Even if it’s 20 minutes around the neighborhood, it can help.
Setting Boundaries
The trial will dominate your thoughts if you let it. One of the best things you can do is create boundaries around when and how much you engage with it.
Designate specific times for discussing the case with your attorney, reviewing documents, or thinking through what’s ahead. Outside of those windows, make a deliberate effort to redirect your attention toward other things. (Literally anything else.)
You have to remember that your attorney is working the case during the hours you’re not thinking about it. The legal process continues whether you’re obsessing over it or not. Giving yourself permission to mentally step away from it protects your energy for the moments when you actually need to be engaged and present.
Yes, this means limiting how much time you spend researching your case online. Reading about similar cases, worst-case outcomes, and legal horror stories doesn’t do anything but feed your anxiety.
Preparing for Court Days
Days when you’re actually in the courtroom carry a different kind of stress than the waiting periods between them. Make sure you’re very intentional with how you prepare for days in court.
Talk to your attorney before each court appearance about what to expect that day. Knowing what’s on the schedule, who’s testifying, and what the general plan is reduces so much of the uncertainty that’s probably surrounding the day for you.
During proceedings, focus on your attorney’s guidance about how to conduct yourself. Facial expressions, body language, and reactions are observed by the judge and jury. Staying composed and neutral teaches you how to not let the stress of the moment work against you.
Managing Stress the Right Way
A trial is temporary. It usually doesn’t feel that way when you’re in the middle of it, but it does eventually come to an end and life moves on. Taking care of yourself during the trial – physically, mentally, and emotionally – is what determines the condition you’re in when you get to the other side of this. Make sure you prioritize the right things so that you’re as healthy as possible.