Flourishing After Adversity

S2:E12 Decision Triage: Don't Make Every Decision at Once

• Laura Broome

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Decision Triage: How to Stop Overthinking After Unexpected Setbacks

Host Laura Mangum Broome discusses how unexpected updates—like a diagnosis, financial setback, or sudden change—can trigger worst-case thinking and decision fatigue by making you mentally carry what might happen, not just what is happening. She shares a recent family medical scare that escalated from a routine appointment to possible procedures and transplant testing, and explains the importance of taking things one step at a time. 

She introduces “decision triage,” comparing choices to an ER’s priorities, and offers three questions to reduce overwhelm: what needs a decision today, what feels urgent but can wait, and what information or support is needed before deciding. Practicing this in everyday situations builds resilience for harder seasons, helping you focus on the next right decision rather than solving the whole future.

00:00 When Your Mind Races
00:26 Podcast Welcome and Free Guide
01:13 Why Overwhelm Happens
02:05 A Family Health Scare
03:12 Decision Triage Method
03:25 Three Questions to Ask
04:11 Practice Builds Resilience
05:05 Try It Right Now
05:38 Recap and Next Step
06:16 Closing and Call to Action


When Your Mind Races

Have you ever gotten one unexpected update and felt your mind jumped 10 steps ahead?  Maybe it was a phone call, a diagnosis, a financial setback, a change in plans you never saw coming.  But before anything has fully unloaded, your brain is already trying to solve every possible outcome. If you've been there, this episode is for you.

Podcast Welcome and Free Guide

Welcome to the Flourishing After Adversity podcast. I'm your host, Laura Mangum Broome. If you've been knocked down by life, grief, illness loss, or unexpected change, you're in the right place. Here we turn setbacks into stepping stones because healing, growth, and joy are not out of reach.  

Before we begin, if you ever feel caught in loops of worry, self-doubt, or mental exhaustion, I created a free resource for you called Reframe the Spiral, five Quick Coping Strategies to Shift Negative Thoughts and Reclaim your Day. These are the same strategies I use when faced with overwhelm from unexpected setbacks. You'll find the link in the show notes. 

Why Overwhelm Happens

Why do we try to solve everything at once? When life changes fast, your mind often tries to race ahead. It starts asking questions you cannot answer yet. It builds scenarios that have not happened. It treats every possible outcome like it needs a decision right now.  That's one reason overwhelm can feel so heavy.  You're not only dealing with what's happening  you're also carrying what might happen.

That kind of mental overload can leave you stuck in decision fatigue, not because there's anything wrong with you because you're trying to solve too much at one time.  In hard seasons, one of the most helpful reminders is this, you do not need to make every decision today.  You only need to get clear on the one that belongs in front of you right now. 

A Family Health Scare

Recently, a family member went into a routine doctor's appointment.  And ended up being admitted to the hospital for more tests.  Those tests showed a procedure was needed. It helped, but then we learned a second procedure would be necessary  if that second procedure did not correct the issue, more testing would be needed for a possible organ transplant.  We were not expecting to hear any of this.  Even as a resilience coach, I could feel my mind trying to jump ahead.  My thoughts started turning into questions, scenarios, and worst case possibilities. I had to stop myself and remember, the second procedure had not happened yet.  If it worked, then transplant testing might not be needed at all. We just had to take things one step at a time,  and that is so true in so many unexpected setbacks.

One hard update can make your mind race far beyond what is actually in front of you.  You start trying to make decisions about outcomes that have not even happened. 

Decision Triage Method

When life changes fast, treat your decisions the way an emergency room treats patients. Not everything gets handled first. The priority is identifying what needs attention now. 

Three Questions to Ask

Ask yourself these three questions. Number one, what needs a decision today? Name the one issue that truly cannot wait.  Number two, what feels urgent, but can wait.  Some decisions feel necessary, but they're not immediate. Write them down so your brain does not keep carrying them.  And number three, what information or support do I need before deciding?  You may not need more pressure, you may need one fact, one conversation, or one clear next step.  This simple pause can help you move from panic to problem solving. Think of it like the first domino that starts the momentum. 

Practice Builds Resilience

These three questions are not only helpful in a crisis, they're worth practicing in everyday life too. Why?  Because when you use them in smaller situations, they become more natural when bigger setbacks come,  they help you reduce mental clutter, stop treating every issue like an emergency,  make clearer decisions with less overwhelm,  and build trust in your ability to handle what's in front of you.

Daily life gives you small chances to practice  for instance, a packed schedule, a hard conversation, a financial decision, and a change in plans.  Resilience is not only built in the big moments, it's built in the repeated practice of choosing what matters now, what can wait and what needs more information 

Try It Right Now

If you're feeling overwhelmed right now,  choose one situation in your life that feels heavy.  Write down these three questions.  Number one, what needs a decision today?  Number two, what feels urgent but can wait?   And number three, what information or support do I need before deciding?

Then decide on one next step.  Make it clear, make it doable. Let that be enough for today. 

 Recap and Next Step

Let's recap what we talked about today. Why unexpected setbacks can push your mind into worst case thinking. How decision overload keeps you stuck.  How decision triage helps you sort what matters now.

While practicing this in daily life builds resilience for harder seasons.  If life feels uncertain right now, you do not need to solve the whole future today. You just need to identify the next right decision in front of you. You're right where you need to be. Growth happens one step at a time. 

Closing and Call to Action

Thank you for listening to the Flourishing After Adversity podcast.

If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a friend. Leave a review or connect with me at iCope2Hope.com.  And don't forget to download your free guide. Reframe the spiral, five quick coping strategies to shift negative thoughts and reclaim your day. The  link is in the show notes.  Until next time, remember, adversity can make you bitter or better choose better.

You've got this.