The day I realised I couldn’t save my own child.

One moment. That’s all it took for me to see the truth. I couldn’t carry my own daughter up a flight of stairs if her life depended on it.

Hello, I’m Orgesa.
Welcome to ConfigurSelf, where I share the systems, identity shifts, and habits that rebuilt my health from the ground up.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a cycle of trying, failing, and starting again, I’ll share the mindset shift that finally broke it for me.

For over a decade, I carried extra weight and a lot of frustration. I’d tried them all: keto, intermittent fasting, meal replacements, cabbage soup. I’d lose a few kilos, then gain back more.

It wasn’t until I stopped chasing “weight loss” and started chasing health that things began to shift.
My goal became simple: be the healthiest version of myself.

That one change led to another…
Watching what I ate, when I ate, and moving as much as I could.

But there was one moment that kept me going when temptation called.

It was a normal evening, leaving the office to collect my eldest from school. I was walking through Bond Street Station when suddenly people started screaming, running up the stairs. I didn’t know why, I just knew I had to move.

Halfway up, my chest was tight, my legs were heavy, and a thought hit me like a brick:
If I had to carry my daughter right now, could I?

The answer was instant. No.

That thought still makes me emotional.
The idea that I couldn’t protect my children stuck with me.
It didn’t lead to an overnight change; it took months to commit, but it stopped me from giving up on myself.

And now? If I had to carry both my girls up those stairs, I could. Easily.

Here’s the real takeaway:
The first step isn’t the perfect diet or workout plan.
It’s building systems and a mindset that make healthy choices inevitable.

Next week, I’ll share some of the systems I used to make progress without relying on willpower or motivation.

For now, I’d love to hear from you.
What’s the one thing that’s held you back from making the change you want?
Hit reply and tell me. I read every single one.

Each week, I’ll share 3 things that have genuinely helped me, small shifts across the three pillars of ConfigurSelf: mindset, habits, and health. The kind of things that have made a real difference in my own life, and that I’d happily recommend to a close friend.

I’ve been taking Symprove every single morning for three years now, and honestly, it’s one of the few things I’ve stuck to. I started it because my digestion was all over the place, my energy was flat, and I just felt… off. Not ill, but not right either.

Since then, things have been more stable. Less bloating. Fewer colds. More energy to actually do what I say I’m going to do. Nothing dramatic, just slow, steady improvement. And it’s one of the few things I trust enough to give to my kids.

They’ve been on it for two years, just 1 ml per kilo of body weight, and they love the taste (they’re weirdly into sour stuff). Their immune systems have been rock-solid since.

There’s real science behind it, too.
Most probiotics don’t survive stomach acid. Symprove actually does; it was tested alongside seven other brands in a UCL study, and it was the only one that delivered live bacteria to the gut and started colonising. (UCL summary)

Plus, about 80% of your immune system lives in your gut, so getting that balance right changes more than just your stomach. Studies have shown that live probiotics can reduce inflammation, improve gut barrier function, and support immune regulation over time. (PubMed)

I’m not saying it’s magic. But it’s worked for us, and it’s still part of our daily rhythm.

Get 50% off your order with Symrpove here →

I started using an acupressure mat about a year ago, every Friday night without fail, and now and then when I’ve been hunched over my laptop too long.

At first, it feels exactly how it looks: like lying on a bed of plastic spikes. But after a few minutes, something shifts. My shoulders drop, my jaw unclenches, and I realise how much tension I’ve been holding without noticing.

I use this one from WTHN, simple, sturdy, no faff, and it’s held up brilliantly. I leave it out near the sofa as a reminder to stop scrolling and actually lie down.

It’s not a big ritual. Just 10–15 minutes. But I always feel better after. Especially at the end of a week where I’ve had to be everything for everyone. 

And sometimes, that’s enough.

When my brain’s darting in five directions and everything feels urgent, this is the tool I come back to. The Pomodoro Technique is dead simple: 25 minutes on, 5 minutes off. That’s it.

I use it when I need to write, plan, or get through a task I’ve been avoiding, the kind that looks big until you just start. I set a timer (usually my phone), shut everything else off, and give myself permission to only think about one thing.

There’s something oddly calming about knowing there’s a break just around the corner. I don’t push through exhaustion. I work with it. And by the end of the second or third round, the fog usually clears.

It’s not about being ultra-productive. It’s about protecting your focus, especially when life already feels like too much.

Most of my podcasts start as background noise, dishes, emails, and dinner. But every now and then, something catches me mid-scroll and actually makes me stop. This week, it was this.

If something in this email made you pause, think, or feel seen, send it to a friend who’s been quietly trying to make a change too.
You never know what might land at the right moment. Link here.

And if you’d like early access to the eBook I’m writing, the real systems, mindset shifts, and habits that helped me lose 50kg and rebuild my health, you can join the waiting list here. “You’re not behind. You’re building, and that takes time.”