Why Coaches Need Buffer Time Between Sessions

by Wendy Francis, Board-Certified Cognitive Health Coach & Founder of The Coaching Collective

Many coaches try to maximize their schedules by booking clients back-to-back. On paper, it looks efficient. In reality, it’s one of the fastest pathways to burnout and reduced effectiveness. Coaching requires emotional presence, cognitive energy, and deep listening — and those resources have limits.

Buffer time between sessions isn’t a luxury. It’s a professional necessity.

Your Brain Needs Time to Reset

During a coaching conversation, your brain engages in active listening, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and decision making. That requires intense cognitive effort. Neuroscience research shows that the brain needs mental breaks to restore working memory and self-control¹. Without rest, your focus drops, your empathy dulls, and you become more reactive than intentional.

When you end a session and immediately start another, your brain is still processing the previous client. It doesn’t have space to reset — which means you don’t show up as your best self for the next session.

Emotional Energy Requires Recovery

Coaching requires emotional attunement. You’re not just listening to words — you’re sensing patterns, beliefs, tone, and tension. Emotional processing uses measurable mental energy. Without breaks, you carry one client’s emotional load into the next session, even if you don’t notice it.

A buffer allows you to:

• Release the emotional weight of the previous session
• Clear your mind before moving on
• Approach the next client without bias or distraction

You may not remember their feelings consciously, but your nervous system does. It needs resets, not marathons.

Buffer Time Improves Client Outcomes

Clients don’t just pay for your time — they pay for your clarity. When your mind is rushed or cluttered from the previous session, the quality of your coaching drops. Even a 5- to 10-minute break changes the quality of presence you can bring to the next conversation.

Buffer time gives you space to:

• Write post-session notes and track their progress
• Reflect on what worked and what to revisit next time
• Prepare an intentional opening question for the next client

Preparation creates stronger outcomes than simply “showing up” and winging it.

Buffer Time Also Protects Your Business

When your schedule is too tight:

• Sessions go over time
• Your day gets stressful and unpredictable
• You feel rushed and resentful by the afternoon
• Small stressors compound into burnout

A simple buffer protects the boundaries that keep your business sustainable. You are not a machine. You are a service professional. Your mental clarity is the service.

How Long Should a Buffer Be?

A realistic guideline is:

• 5–10 minutes for shorter sessions (30–45 minutes)
• 10–15 minutes after 60-minute sessions
• 20+ minutes after emotionally intense or trauma-informed sessions

Your schedule is not just a calendar — it’s a support system for your mind.

Sources

1. Baumeister, R. F., & Heatherton, T. F. (1996). “Self-regulation Failure: An Overview.” Psychological Inquiry. (Research on mental energy and self-control depletion.)

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for business, psychological, or legal advice. Coaching workloads vary based on niche, emotional intensity, and practitioner training. Always consider personal limits and ethical guidelines when scheduling clients.