Physical discomfort has a way of making abstract priorities suddenly become simple.

It takes very little physical trouble to reorganise your priorities. A bad back, a fever, a night without sleep, and suddenly all the things that felt urgent are revealed as optional, while a few plain things move to the front. That clarity is real, and the unfortunate part is that it usually fades as soon as the discomfort does.

Next time something small goes wrong physically, write down what suddenly seemed to matter. Keep the note. When you are well again, it is a useful correction to the list you would otherwise be working from.