Urgent and real
Safety, housing, income interruption, legal deadlines, medical risk, active crisis.
Triage
Sort the damage.
Everything can feel urgent when you are overwhelmed. It is not. Triage gives each problem its actual weight so you stop burning energy in the wrong order.
Painful but not urgent
Identity collapse, embarrassment, loneliness, future uncertainty, unfinished plans.
Not for this week
Big reinventions, perfect explanations, proving yourself, rebuilding your entire reputation.
The three-fire method
Write down every problem. Circle only three that create real downstream damage if ignored this week. Work those first. Everything else goes to a parking lot.