The Triage Method: A Nurseā€™s Strategy for Simplifying Your Health Journey
"How to Prioritize Your Health for Better Wellness and Energy"
In my years as a critical care and trauma nurse, I took away one foundational skill that is paramount in how I operate in my functional wellness practice and even how I approach problem-solving in my daily life. In the fast-paced and often high-stress world of emergency medicine, triage is the process of assessing and prioritizing what needs attention first. It’s about identifying the most urgent issue—the one thing that, if addressed, will have the greatest impact on the patient’s outcome.
This same principle can not only apply to your health and wellness journey, but to how you operate every day.
Why “Going Big” Isn’t Always Better
Right now, you might be feeling exhausted, sluggish, or just not like yourself. Maybe your energy crashes in the afternoon, your sleep is inconsistent, or you’re constantly battling brain fog and mood swings. You know something is off, but you’re not sure where to start or what’s causing it.
When people decide to improve their health, they often feel like they need to change everything all at once—overhauling their diet, starting an intense workout plan, revamping their sleep schedule, meditating, and drinking a gallon of water. This can feel overwhelming and, frankly, impossible to sustain. Just like in clinical practice, trying to fix everything at once isn’t effective. Instead of getting lost in an all-or-nothing approach, what if you started by focusing on the one thing that will make the biggest impact?
How to Triage Your Health & Wellness
What’s the most pressing issue? How are you feeling right now, and what is the biggest struggle impacting your daily life? These are just some of the questions you can ask yourself. Here’s how you can apply a triage mindset to your well-being:
- Identify How You’re Feeling
Start by acknowledging what’s making life harder for you. Are you constantly exhausted? Struggling with cravings? Feeling anxious or irritable? Instead of diagnosing yourself, just recognize what’s weighing you down the most.
- Address That One Thing First
Once you pinpoint how you’re feeling, consider what could be driving it. Low energy and brain fog? It could be blood sugar imbalances. Feeling wired yet exhausted? Chronic stress might be at play. Instead of trying to change everything, focus on the area that, if improved, will create a noticeable shift in how you feel. Just as stabilizing a patient’s airway takes precedence before treating a broken bone, prioritizing the most impactful area of your health will set you up for greater success. If your sleep is wrecking your energy, hormones, and cravings, fixing that will naturally help improve those areas.
- Watch for the Domino Effect
The beauty of triage is that when you focus on the right thing, other things start falling into place. Eating for blood sugar balance often improves energy, sleep, and cravings. Reducing stress can lead to better digestion, lower inflammation, and fewer headaches. You don’t have to fix everything—just start where it matters most.
- Keep Moving to the Next Priority
Once you’ve stabilized the biggest issue, reassess. What’s the next priority? With each step, you’ll gain momentum, making long-term health changes feel effortless rather than overwhelming.
Even when you decide that perhaps it's your diet you need to tackle first, it's important to remember to use the triage method within that one area. When I refer to your diet, I do not mean “dieting,” as this is not sustainable. It's about breaking it down and meeting yourself where you are. For example, do you consume mostly highly processed foods? Start to introduce more whole foods into your diet. Perhaps that feels overwhelming. Break it down even more and start with one meal a day, or simply make one swap on your plate. Maybe you don’t eat veggies; try one with one of your meals. Want to learn more about balancing your plate? Learn how here.
Where Do You Start? Let’s Figure It Out Together.
You don’t have to do this alone. If you’re feeling stuck and unsure where to focus first, I can help you triage your health and pinpoint the one thing that will create the biggest impact. Let’s take the guesswork out of your wellness journey and start making real progress—one step at a time.
Visit my website or connect with me here and let’s find your first step toward lasting wellness.
