Why Courtroom Energy Isn’t About Charisma—It’s About Regulation

Here we are in February already.

We’re back at full speed, and no one seems to be letting up on the throttle. Full steam ahead. All the time.

If you’re feeling that, you’re not imagining it.

January is that collective “Okay, let’s get settled” month. December wraps up and we say, We’ll deal with this in January.

And then January arrives—and suddenly we’re buried in inboxes, back at our desks, sorting everything out.

Phew.

January also comes with clarity. Fresh resolve. Momentum.

But once we’re fully back in it, some of that verve and intention naturally falls away as we reprioritize and hunker down.

And all of that has a direct effect on your nervous system.

 

Your Sympathetic Nervous System Isn’t the Villain

At the start of the year, most people’s sympathetic nervous systems are running hot.

And that’s not a bad thing.

Yes, the sympathetic nervous system gets labeled as fight-flight-freeze, but it’s also your get-up-and-go system. Your productivity engine. Your ability to focus, problem-solve, and execute.

The goal is not to eliminate or suppress it.

The goal is regulation—so it doesn’t stay stuck in high gear.

February is a good time to help it out.

 

What a Healthy Nervous System Actually Looks Like

A healthy autonomic nervous system is constantly self-regulating.

Think of it like driving a car. Sometimes you need the gas pedal. But stomping on the gas all the time would be disastrous. You also need the brakes.

Experienced drivers shift between pedals seamlessly, without thinking.

Your brain does the same thing—revving the sympathetic system (gas) and then subtly engaging the parasympathetic system (brakes). Roughly every 90 minutes, there’s a natural recalibration where one hands off to the other.

But even within those cycles, there’s something happening constantly.

 

Every Breath Is a Nervous System Adjustment

These shifts aren’t on/off switches. They’re more like a dimmer.

1. Every inhale gently turns the dial toward activation

2. Every exhale turns the dial toward settling

Tiny adjustments. Back and forth. All day long.

That’s on a normal day.

Not a day with fights with opposing counsel, contentious depositions, discovery requests, staffing issues, or kids melting down in the back seat on the way to practice.

You know the days.

 

Breath Is Your Fastest Point of Influence

On stressful days—or even during a stressful hour—it’s empowering to know you can initiate real change.

Your biggest ally is your breath.

You can use it strategically to either:

1. down-regulate when things are intense

2. or up-regulate when energy and focus are dragging

And you don’t need to be a breath coach or a yogi to do this well.

 

When You’re Running Hot: Slow the Exhale

If you’re feeling stressed, reactive, or overloaded, long exhales are your friend.

A longer exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system and supports the vagus nerve—your rest, digest, and restore pathway.

This isn’t about “calming down” emotionally.

It’s about restoring capacity.

 

When Everything Feels Like a Slog: Add Energy Back In

There are other days where focus is low, motivation is flat, and everything feels heavy.

Sure, coffee helps. So does a snack.

But breath can do this faster.

Quicker cycles of inhale and exhale gently elevate activation and sharpen attention—without overstimulation.

Self-regulation is a superpower.

 

Can You Use This in the Courtroom?

Yes. Absolutely.

And this is where breath becomes more than self-care—it becomes leadership.

We all have mirror neurons. Our brains automatically sync with the energy we see and hear around us. And that includes breathing patterns.

When you feel the mid-afternoon courtroom lull—after dense expert testimony—you can sense the room sag.

You don’t need to call it out.

You can shift it.

1. Slightly lift your voice

2. Use shorter phrases

3. Quicken your breath just enough

4. Make smaller, faster movements

Not manic.

Not performative.

Just enough to turn the dial.

The jury will follow.

 

How to Calm an Overheated Room Without Saying a Word

When things feel tense, confrontational, or emotionally heavy, do the opposite.

Slow your breathing.

Lengthen your exhale.

Take more time between phrases.

Jurors will subconsciously mirror you—and together, the room settles.

That’s when thinking returns.

That’s when learning sticks.

That’s when decision-making improves.

 

The Real Takeaway

This isn’t about control in a white-knuckle, authoritarian way.

It’s about influence through regulation.

When you intentionally regulate your own nervous system:

1. you protect jurors’ attention

2. preserve their emotional energy

3. and keep them engaged longer

Your nervous system is an incredibly sophisticated tool.

Use your breath well—and it will shape how your day unfolds, in and out of the courtroom.

Until next time, keep fostering your voice.