How was your day?
Get it off your chest.
Founders, small business owners, sole traders, CEOs, executives and board members. Put down what you're carrying before you go home.
Which best describes you?
This changes a few questions and which support lines come first. You can change it any time.
Everything you enter stays on this phone. Nothing is sent to your board, investors or staff or anyone else. Unladen Helm is a prototype. It is not a medical or emergency service and is not connected to any business, investor or government agency. · Give feedback
Take a moment.
Step away from the phone and the inbox for a few minutes. The business can wait. You're allowed to stop.
Breathe with this
What you might be feeling
- Shaky, sick, or a racing heart
- Numb, or oddly calm
- Tearful, angry, or both
- Going over what you could have done differently
These are normal reactions. They usually settle over hours or days.
If it feels like everything is falling apart
You are not your business. Talk to someone today: someone close to you, a mentor, or Lifeline on 13 11 14. The Small Business Debt Helpline (1800 413 828) can help with the money side.
Ground yourself
Look around. Name them, out loud or in your head.
Call someone now
Add a mentor, another founder or someone close to you in so they're here when you need them.
Not sure who to tell?
If you don't feel safe telling your board, investors or co-founder, there are other people you can go to. Or write down what happened, just for you, while it's fresh.
What helps after
Handover to yourself
A few minutes at the end of the day. Notice what you're carrying, then leave what you can at the office.
Please talk to someone now
You said you've had thoughts of harming yourself or not wanting to be here. Please call one of these now. If you're in immediate danger, call 000.
Light load
This phone isn't letting the page save. Your result shows here but won't be kept.
Your safety
You said you didn't feel fully safe. That matters. Talk to someone you trust, and get advice about what's making you feel unsafe.
Getting home safely
You said you've got very little energy left. The inbox can wait until tomorrow. Get some sleep.
What might help
People you can call
This isn't a medical assessment. It's a way to notice how you're going over time.
How it's been going
Last 14 days
Handovers
This phone isn't letting the page save, so handovers won't be kept.
Privacy & your data
Add a PIN, download what you've entered, or delete everything from this phone.
Carrying a business takes something out of you
What to watch for, and what helps. Tap a heading to open it.
Cash flow and money worries
- Talk to your accountant early, before it becomes a crisis.
- The ATO and many lenders have payment arrangements. Ask.
- The Small Business Debt Helpline (1800 413 828) gives free, confidential financial counselling.
- Money stress isn't a sign you're a bad leader.
Letting people go
- Making someone redundant, or firing them, is one of the hardest parts of leading.
- Do it with care, and get advice so it is done properly.
- It's normal to grieve, feel guilty or lose sleep afterwards. Talk to someone outside the business.
When a deal or funding falls through
- Let yourself feel it before you make the next decision.
- Separate what you can learn from what was out of your control.
- Talk to a mentor or another founder.
When the business is failing or closing
- You are not your business.
- Get insolvency or restructuring advice early. Options shrink the longer you wait.
- The Small Business Debt Helpline (1800 413 828) can help you understand your options.
- Shame keeps people quiet. Tell someone you trust.
Pressure from investors or the board
- Write down what was asked of you and when.
- Get independent advice when the pressure is about something you are uncomfortable with.
- A mentor or coach outside the business can help you think clearly.
A crisis or public criticism
- Don't read every comment. Ask someone else to monitor.
- Get advice before you respond publicly.
- Lean on your support people. You don't have to be the strong one with everyone.
Working all hours
- Notice if "until we launch" or "until we raise" has become every month.
- Protect sleep. Decisions get worse without it.
- Take at least one day a week fully off.
Lonely at the top
- Leaders often can't share their worries with staff, investors or even family.
- Find peers: a founder group, a CEO network, a mentor.
- NewAccess for Small Business Owners (03 9250 8305) offers free mental health coaching for business owners.
Signs you're carrying too much
- Dreading opening your inbox
- Lying awake running numbers
- Feeling numb, or short with people at home
- Drinking more to switch off
- Pulling back from people
Leadership is lonely and the stakes are high. Feeling it is a normal response, not a weakness.
When to get more help
If your load has been heavy for two weeks or more, or it's affecting sleep or home life, talk to your GP. A GP can set up a Mental Health Treatment Plan for Medicare-subsidised sessions with a psychologist. NewAccess for Small Business Owners (03 9250 8305) offers free coaching.
People to call
Save the ones that apply to you. They stay on this phone and show up on the Help now screen.
Support lines
Support outside the business
Sometimes the person you'd normally tell is part of the problem, or it just doesn't feel safe. Here are other ways to get support. You choose what to do, and when.
From your organisation
Your business or network can add its own support numbers here.
Someone outside your reporting line
- A mentor or coach. Someone outside the business who can be honest with you.
- Other founders or leaders. A peer group, CEO network or industry group.
- Your accountant or adviser. For the money side, early.
- NewAccess for Small Business Owners. Free mental health coaching, 03 9250 8305.
- Small Business Debt Helpline. Free financial counselling, 1800 413 828.
- Your GP. Outside work altogether, and can refer you on.
Text or chat instead of calling
For when talking out loud isn't possible, or feels like too much.
For particular situations
Getting advice early about money or insolvency gives you more options.
Spiritual and religious support
Some people find strength in prayer, ritual or their faith or cultural community after a hard day. Others find it in nature, music, exercise or quiet. Whatever gives you meaning counts.
If your workplace has a chaplain or wellbeing officer, they support people of any faith or none. Their role is to listen, not to persuade.
Words to start with
The first sentence is often the hardest. You could say:
"I'm not ready to make a complaint. I just need to talk this through."
"Can this stay between us? Is there anything you'd have to pass on?"
"The business is in trouble and I haven't told anyone."
"I'm not sleeping and I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."
What happens if I tell someone?
- Counsellors, peer supporters and helplines keep what you say private. The main exception is if someone is at serious risk of harm. If you're unsure, ask at the start.
- Your accountant or lawyer has confidentiality obligations. Ask about them at the start.
- Your private record in this app stays on your phone unless you choose to share it.
Not ready to tell anyone?
That's OK. You can write down what happened, just for yourself, and decide later.
Numbers and services are for New South Wales and Australia-wide. Check with your organisation for its own services.
Write down what happened
It stays on this phone. It isn't a report, and nothing is sent anywhere. If you later decide to raise something, notes written at the time are easier to rely on than memory.
My entries
Entries can't be edited, so each one shows when it was written. To add something, write a new entry.
No entries yet.
If you decide to share it, you can download it or send it to yourself.
Your phone, your data
PIN lock
Ask for a PIN when the app opens, and after it has been in the background for a minute.
PIN is on.
The PIN stops someone else opening the app on your phone. It doesn't encrypt what's stored, so keep your phone locked too. If you forget it, you can delete everything and start again.
Hide the screen
Tap the eye button at the top of any screen to cover the app straight away, for example in the office or on the way home. Tap to come back, or enter your PIN if you've set one.
Download my data
Download everything you've entered (handovers, private record and contacts) as a text file. You could keep a copy, or show it to your GP or counsellor.
Delete everything
Deletes your handovers, private record, role, contacts and PIN from this phone.
Delete everything from this phone? This can't be undone.
About Unladen Helm
Unladen™ Helm is a prototype made by Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd, Newcastle NSW. Unladen™ is a trade mark of Co-Synthesist Pty Ltd. It isn't a medical or emergency service, and it isn't connected to any business, investor or government agency. The questions haven't been clinically validated yet.
What's stored: your role, handovers, private record, saved contacts and settings, only in this phone's browser. Nothing is sent to anyone. There are no accounts, analytics or trackers.
Feedback: the feedback form is the only part of Unladen Helm that sends anything, and only when you press Send. It doesn't include anything else from the app.
Keep in mind: if you clear your browser data or remove the app, what you've entered goes too. Download a copy first if you want to keep it.
Version 0.1 prototype · September 2026