I spent a big chunk of one day this week at the hospital with my mom.
Unexpected things happen, like an illness, a missed flight or a cancelled event you’ve been looking forward to. It’s the adult version of a snow day only instead of getting to sleep in and watch TV all day, you have to completely switch your priorities, maybe with very little notice.
Here are 5 practical tips for managing an unexpected emergency when it throws your normal priorities off track:
1. Pause and Assess the Situation
Before reacting, take a moment to evaluate the urgency and scope of the emergency.
Be clear and honest about what needs immediate attention and what can wait for a few hours or a few days.
Clarity helps reduce the urge to panic and begin thinking about all the worse case scenarios and instead we can then make smarter decisions.
2. Communicate Clearly and Quickly
Let key people (family, clients, coworkers) know what’s going on. A simple message like, “I’ve had an emergency come up today—I'll circle back as soon as I’m able,” buys you time and sets expectations.
3. Reprioritize with Purpose
Look at your to-do list and be ruthless.
• What must still get done today?
• What can be rescheduled?
• What can be delegated or dropped or where can you ask someone else to help?
4. Create a “Minimum Viable Day”
If you can’t do everything, aim to do the essentials—just enough to keep life or work from unraveling. This might mean only responding to urgent messages, feeding your kids, or showing up to one critical meeting.
5. Give Yourself Grace
Emergencies happen. Missing a deadline, canceling a call, or letting laundry pile up isn’t failure—it’s flexibility. Show yourself compassion, and know that you’ll regroup when the dust settles.
Unplanned things are going to happen and staying hopeful can happen when you remember that it’s okay not to do all the things, and people in your life will want to help if you let them know what you need.
