The courtroom may look composed from the outside — but behind the bench, pressure builds. Judges are tasked with high-stakes decisions, long hours, emotional isolation, and often traumatic case material. They're expected to remain calm, impartial, and razor-sharp — even as stress silently erodes cognitive clarity, empathy, and wellbeing.

Emerging neuroscience reveals that chronic stress doesn’t just feel bad — it impairs executive function, shrinks the prefrontal cortex, and increases reactivity. That means slower decision-making, less creativity in sentencing, and diminished resilience — right where it’s needed most.

This theme is especially relevant for judges, magistrates, tribunal members, court clerks, and anyone who designs judicial training, oversight, or workplace wellbeing policies.