Juror self-care

Jury duty is a vital, rewarding and meaningful public service. Occasionally, jury duty can also be stressful and difficult. Jurors are sometimes required to hear information and testimony about violent crimes, including crimes against children and other vulnerable people. Not all jurors are affected by this experience in the same way. Individual stress responses can vary according to life experi­ence and are usually temporary.

As a result of your service on a jury you might experience the following stress responses:

Practice good self-care during the trial by doing the following:

• Get rest;
• Eat well and stay hydrated;
• Monitor use of alcohol and caffeine for any changes or increase in usage;
• Keep a normal schedule;
• Exercise or go for a walk – physical activity may help;
• If you wake up in the middle of the night: have a drink of water, read a little if you can’t get back to sleep and remember to take deep breaths; and
• If you have a flashback to something you saw/heard while on the jury: breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth up to the count of 10 and then take notice of your current environment.