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You’re juggling your coaching sessions after a full day of teaching or a draining corporate job.
You love coaching, but by the time your sessions roll around, you’re wiped.
You catch yourself yawning mid-session, feeling distracted, or worse—resenting the work you used to be so excited about.
And the guilt? It’s real.
Your clients (or their parents) are paying for your focus, energy, and expertise.
So how do you show up fully, even when you feel like collapsing?
In this article, we’ll go over real strategies to manage your energy and ensure you deliver high-quality coaching, no matter what’s going on behind the scenes.
Here's how 👇
Why Managing Your Energy Matters as a Coach
Your energy directly affects client retention.
If you show up disengaged, distracted, or drained, your clients notice.
They start questioning whether coaching is worth it, and before long, they’re looking elsewhere.
On the flip side, when you show up engaged and present, your clients feel it.
They stay longer, refer others, and get better results.
Beyond that, your business depends on your energy.
As an independent coach, you are the service. If you burn out, your business suffers.
Learning to manage your energy ensures that you can grow your practice sustainably, rather than fizzling out from exhaustion.
Common Energy Traps That Drain Coaches
Trap 1: Running on Passion Instead of a System
You love helping students, which is why you got into coaching.
But passion isn’t enough.
When the excitement wears off and exhaustion kicks in, you might be tempted to reschedule or cancel sessions—a habit that can tank your credibility.
Passion doesn’t replace a structured energy management system that keeps you going even on low-energy days.
Trap 2: Not Charging Enough (or Coaching for Free)
If you’re undercharging, you’re stealing energy from yourself.
Resentment creeps in when you realize you’re giving high-value coaching but barely covering your expenses.
Coaches who don’t charge enough often find themselves exhausted, questioning whether this career is sustainable.
Spoiler: It’s not — unless you set your rates properly.
Trap 3: Mistaking "Authenticity" for Sharing Every Emotion
You don’t have to pretend to be perfect, but you also don’t need to dump your exhaustion on clients.
Sharing too much about feeling drained makes clients question whether you’re equipped to help them.
Clients don’t expect you to be a robot, but they do expect you to be professional and prepared.
How to Manage Your Energy and Show Up Like a Pro
Tip 1: Create a Clear Vision for Your Coaching Career
If you’re coaching on the side while working another job, you need an exit plan.
An important tactic that I teach in my certification course is to define what your business will look like in 6 months, a year, and beyond.
Set an income goal, determine how many clients you need, and start making small, consistent moves toward that goal.
Having a roadmap makes the long days feel more purposeful.
Tip 2: Act As If—Master Your Coaching Persona
Energy follows action. If you act as if you have energy, your body will catch up.
Instead of slouching and dragging through a session, adjust your posture, change your tone, and commit to showing up fully.
If this feels unnatural, create an alter ego—a version of yourself that steps into coaching mode regardless of how your day went.
Tip 3: Build an Energy Management Plan
Your diet, sleep, and movement affect every part of your coaching business.
Ask yourself:
Am I eating for energy, or just surviving on caffeine and carbs?
Do I exercise regularly, or only when I "have time"?
Is my sleep schedule predictable, or all over the place?
Small changes—like drinking more water, getting outside, or doing a quick meditation before sessions—can make a huge difference.
Tip 4: Shift Your Mindset: From Obligation to Opportunity
When you think “I have to coach today”, it feels like a burden.
When you switch to “I get to coach today”, everything changes.
Seeing coaching as an opportunity—not an obligation—keeps you engaged and grateful.
Your clients deserve a coach who is excited to help them, not someone counting the minutes until the session ends.
The Bottom Line
Feeling drained happens, but it doesn’t have to define your coaching. Here’s how to ensure you show up fully for your clients:
Set a long-term vision for your coaching career so today’s effort feels purposeful.
Use the “Act as If” method to bring energy into sessions, even when you don’t feel it.
Create a sustainable energy management routine with better nutrition, sleep, and movement.
Shift your mindset from “I have to coach” to “I get to coach.”
Your energy is your most valuable asset as a coach. Protect it, manage it, and use it wisely.
Hope this helps 🤙🏻
Want support in showing up for your clients?
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About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and expanding my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.