Dealing With the Stress of Being Out on Bail

So you've been arrested in Denver County or Jefferson County and a loved one acted quickly to enlist the help of a bail bond agent. As a result, just a few hours after arriving at the jail the doors swing open and you're free to go. Great! You can go to work tomorrow, watch football on Sunday with family and friends and relax. At least, in theory.

In reality, being out on bail is not the same as being 'free'. There are limitations on your movements, probably some limits on what you can do as well and you may even be prohibited from having a beer while you're watching that game with your buddies on Sunday. In addition, if your employer finds out you spent Friday night in jail it could have career ramifications and there's also the need to hire a lawyer to fight the charges you will face when your day in court arrives.

When all those things are added to the stress of everyday life it can be a bit overwhelming for some folks. In this post, we're going to provide some tips on dealing with the unique types of stress associated with being out on bail.

Seven Useful Tips for Dealing With the Stress of Being Out on Bail

Contrary to popular belief the life a person lives when they're out on bail is not the same as the life they lived before they got arrested and had to ring up the bail bond company. The myriad restrictions placed on their movement alone are enough to cause blood pressure to rise, and when you toss in things like ankle bracelets and perhaps prohibitions against drinking and more, well, the stress can be considerable. But it doesn't have to be debilitating.

Below are seven tips you can put to use that will help you deal with the stress of being out on bail.

Trust your bail bondsman

The bondsman who helped you get out of jail is an experienced pro who has seen it all. They have dealt with scores of people in your exact situation so it behooves you to seek their advice and take it to heart. In addition, if there are any changes to your status or the specifics of your court case while you are out on bail they will get in touch with you in a timely fashion and let you know. So don't worry about missing any developments in your case. If something happens your bail agent will be on top of it.

Exercise to relieve stress

Many prisons provide extensive weight rooms - and not just to produce super-jacked ex-cons. Exercise is a good way for prison inmates to work off stress. In addition, inmates who are exhausted from a strenuous workout are a lot less likely to cause trouble. Of course, no such system is perfect. Jacked cons still get in altercations. But the idea is sound. Especially for people who are out on bail, as opposed to being locked in prison with a thousand other inmates.

Exercise patience and mindfulness

Mindfulness may sound very new-age but it has been a guiding principle of martial arts for thousands of years. All it means is blocking out the chatter and clutter around you and focusing solely on the task at hand. When athletes talk about being in "the zone," they are describing a state of enhanced mindfulness. As far as life on bail goes, mindfulness might mean creating a list of things that need to be done and then concentrating only on the next thing on the list and forgetting about the rest.

Don't play games with the conditions of your release

There is no easier way to add to the stress in your life than by playing games with the conditions of your release. If the judge told you to be home every night at 10 p.m. don't try and see how far you can push the envelope before you get a call from your lawyer or the bonding company. Likewise, if you were told not to leave Arapahoe County don't leave the county. And if you were told to check in with your bondsman every day, check in with your bondsman.

Playing things straight will make your life a lot easier and your cooperation will also be noted when you appear to face the charges against you. Conversely, if you play games with the terms of your release the only one who can lose is you. And whether you want to admit it or not, knowingly breaking the rules is going to raise your stress levels.

Spend time with the people who care about you

If you spend your time on bail surrounded by your drinking buddies the chances of violating the conditions of your release increase by the day. Peer pressure has caused countless people to do countless stupid things so steering clear of people who claim to have a foolproof way to get around bail-related travel restrictions is a good idea. A much better idea is to spend your free non-work time with people who actually care about you, like your family. These are the people who've been with you since you were crawling on the floor in diapers. They want to see you transcend your current problem and get your life back on track. Stick with them.

View this as an opportunity for change

It's safe to say that whatever caused you to wind up in jail was the result of some bad choices. But what's done is done. You can't go back and undo it. What you can do is use this as an opportunity to take stock of your life. Identify those choices and decisions that led up to your incarceration. Chances are it wasn't a single isolated event, but instead the result of a series of bad decisions. We understand that no one is a saint and we don't expect anyone to suddenly become pure as the driven snow. But it's in your interest to identify those things that caused your train to derail and avoid repeating them in the future.

Remember, it won't last forever

Last but not least it's important to remember that your current situation is not permanent. At some point, it will all be behind you. That is, as long as you haven't played games with the terms of your release and you've taken the opportunity to identify the decisions you made that led to your arrest. When you're walking around with an ankle bracelet unable to join your buddies for a beer and with your day in court still pending it can all be a bit overwhelming. But just as surely as the sun rises in the east there will come a day when it will all be a distant memory.

Contact Tayler Made for Affordable Bail Bonds

If you find yourself in trouble with the law, get in touch with the pros at Tayler Made Bail Bonding by calling us at (303) 623-0399 any time of the day or night. We'll have you out of jail and reunited with your loved ones in no time flat.