Too Many Decisions, Too Little Bandwidth: Helping Clients Navigate Decision Fatigue in Stabilization, Employment, and Financial Coaching
- by Buoyancy Works
- |
- - 5 min read
Overview
For many clients facing economic stress—whether they’re job searching, budgeting on a tight income, or navigating housing instability—life can feel like a constant stream of small but high-stakes choices. Over time, this can lead to decision fatigue, making it even harder to stay focused and move forward.
Should I buy groceries today or wait until after the hydro bill clears?
Should I follow up on that job posting or deal with my landlord first?
Should I save this $10 or put gas in the car?
These choices may seem manageable in isolation. But when every decision carries risk and emotional weight, clients can experience decision fatigue—a state of mental exhaustion that makes even simple choices feel overwhelming
In This Article:
What is Decision Fatigue?
Decision fatigue is a cognitive and emotional depletion that happens when the brain is forced to make repeated, effortful decisions over time. When fatigued, people are more likely to:
- Avoid decisions altogether (procrastinate or freeze)
- Opt for easier, lower-effort actions (like scrolling job boards instead of applying)
- Over-rely on habit or impulse (e.g., spending money to relieve stress, skipping appointments)
- Disengage from planning or reflection
The neuroscience is clear: prolonged stress and cognitive demand lead to buildup of glutamate in the prefrontal cortex—our brain’s decision-making center—making it harder to maintain focus, resist impulses, or weigh consequences effectively.
Programs and practitioners are beginning to recognize that more integrated tools can reduce administrative burdens while boosting efficiency. This shift isn’t about discarding the principles of case management but about modernizing and expanding the approach. Rather than working solely to document service delivery, the next generation of systems fosters client empowerment, increases practitioner impact, and measures success through outcomes that matter most to clients’ economic stability.
Why it Matters for Coaches
If your clients are stuck, unfocused, or struggling to follow through—it might not be a motivation issue. It might be mental overload. This is especially true for those in early stabilization who are juggling:
- Housing, food, or childcare insecurity
- Debt, income assistance, or benefits applications
- Complex job searches or multiple part-time roles
- Relationship or safety concerns
- Ongoing trauma or chronic stress
For coaches, recognizing the signs of decision fatigue allows you to offer compassionate, brain-aware support—and shift from asking “Why didn’t they do it?” to “How can I make this easier?”
Practical Strategies for Coaches
Here are five tools and techniques to help clients manage decision fatigue—organized around the principle of reducing cognitive load and supporting follow-through.
1. Shrink the Decision Field: Offer Bounded Choices
1. Shrink the Decision Field: Offer Bounded ChoicesWhat to try:
Instead of “What do you want to work on next?” → Offer a choice between 2-3 pre-curated options.
Use phrases like:
“Would it feel better to start with a budgeting check-in, or revisit your resume today?”
Why it works: Reduces overwhelm by lowering the number of choices to a manageable.
2. Use If–Then Planning (a.k.a. “Implementation Intentions”)
2. Use If–Then Planning (a.k.a. “Implementation Intentions”)What to try:
Help clients pre-decide with statements like:
“If I get overwhelmed when paying bills, then I will take a 5-minute break and start with the smallest one.”
“If I see a job that matches my top 3 skills, I’ll apply without second-guessing.”
Why it works: Creates shortcuts in the brain that automate effortful decisions and build.
3. Build Micro-Routines (Especially for Daily Tasks)
3. Build Micro-Routines (Especially for Daily Tasks)What to try:
- Encourage clients to schedule recurring actions (e.g., “I check my bank app Mondays and Thursdays,” “I apply to 2 jobs every Wednesday.”)
- For budgeting, create a “Friday money moment” ritual.
Why it works: Habits reduce the energy needed for choices. They shift action from “Should I?” to “It’s just what I do.”
4. Offer Reset Tools, Not Just To-Do Lists
4. Offer Reset Tools, Not Just To-Do ListsWhat to try:
- When a client says, “I didn’t do anything this week,” don’t double down on tasks. Instead:
- Ask: “What’s feeling heavy right now?”
- Try a reset prompt: “What’s one thing you can do today that’s lighter or easier than usual?”
- Introduce grounding techniques (deep breathing, brief walks, stress journaling) to re-engage executive function.
Why it works: Re-regulation comes before re-engagement. People can’t plan when they feel unsafe or flooded.
5. Use Visual Templates to Offload Mental Load
5. Use Visual Templates to Offload Mental LoadWhat to try:
- Use fill-in-the-blank templates: “My top 3 priorities this week are…” or “Things I can do when I feel overwhelmed: ___, ___, ___.”
- Try asset maps or domains (like the Sustainable Livelihoods framework) to give structure to thinking.
- Use visual progress tools (e.g., mood trackers, goal arcs, emoji check-ins).
Why it works: Converts invisible, swirling thoughts into visible, structured choices—freeing up bandwidth and reinforcing progress.
Client-Facing Exercises You Can Share
Here are two simple exercises coaches can offer clients who feel stuck:
🟢 “Three-Bucket” Sort
Prompt: Write down everything you’re worrying about. Now sort them into:
- Today – what needs attention now
- This Week – what can wait a few days
- Not Now – what’s important, but not urgent
Goal: Reduce clutter and help clients focus on manageable next steps.
🟡 “Default Decisions” List
Prompt: Create a set of 3–5 “go-to” actions for common scenarios. For example:
- If I’m low on motivation → I text my coach or take a walk
- If I have $10 extra → I put it in my savings jar
- If I get a big scary letter → I wait 1 hour, then ask for help
Goal: Shift stress reactions from avoidance to pre-decided responses.
Final Thoughts
Decision fatigue isn’t a character flaw—it’s a cognitive reality, especially for people navigating poverty, uncertainty, and complex systems.
As coaches, we can reduce friction, normalize overwhelm, and co-create strategies that build clarity, confidence, and momentum. When we scaffold decisions, we don’t just help clients move forward—we help them rebuild their capacity to trust themselves again.
Buoyancy Works is a Calgary-based social purpose company dedicated to empowering individuals through behavioral science and technology. We help frontline organizations, coaches, and advocates better support their clients—whether they’re working toward greater stability, seeking employment, or building financial resilience. Our platform is designed to make everyone’s life easier: it streamlines the work of staff by reducing administrative burden and offering evidence-backed tools they can use in real time, while providing clients with personalized guidance and structure that feels clear, encouraging, and accessible. By making it easier for coaches to do what they do best—build trust, provide support, and guide progress—Buoyancy Works strengthens outcomes across stabilization and economic empowerment domains, while improving the experience for everyone involved. The platform aligns with tools like the Sustainable Livelihoods framework and Resiliency Matrix by supporting holistic, client-centered approaches that recognize the complex interplay of assets, challenges, and progress across multiple life domains. Learn more at buoyancy.works.
References
- Babcock, E. D. (2018). Using Brain Science to Transform Human Services and Increase Personal Mobility from Poverty. US Partnership on Mobility from Poverty https://www.mobilitypartnership.org/node/826.html
- Shenhav, A., Cohen, J. D., & Botvinick, M. M. (2016). Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the value of control. Nature Neuroscience, 19(10), 1286–1291. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4384
- Decision Fatigue: A Conceptual Analysis. (2018). SAGE Open Nursing, 4, 1–10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6119549/
- Wiehler, A., Branzoli, F., & Peters, J. (2022). A neuro-metabolic account of why day-long cognitive work alters the control of economic decisions. Current Biology, 32(19), 4172-4183.e5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10460155/
- Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995–1006. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.995
- The Decision Lab. (n.d.). Choice Overload Bias. Retrieved from https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/choice-overload-bias
- Babcock, E. D. (2014). Using Brain Science to Design New Pathways Out of Poverty. Crittenton Women’s Union. https://www.aecf.org/resources/using-brain-science-to-design-new-pathways-out-of-poverty
- Duckworth, A. L., Grant, H., Loew, B., Oettingen, G., & Gollwitzer, P. M. (2011). Self-regulation strategies improve self-discipline in adolescents: Benefits of mental contrasting and implementation intentions. Educational Psychology, 31(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2010.506003
- Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much. Sendhil Mullainathan & Eldar Shafir. (2013). New York: Times Books.
Recommended for you
