A personal psychological load management tool built on the stress-bucket model. See your current state. Understand your capacity. Make better decisions about the day ahead.
Learn moreThe stress-bucket model is used in CBT and addiction recovery. Stressors fill the bucket. Relief actions drain it. When the bucket overflows, automatic behaviours take over. Headroom makes that process visible.
Each morning, acknowledge every persistent stressor. Legal proceedings. Financial pressure. Relationship strain. The level goes into the red. That is honesty, not failure.
Through the day, log relief actions as they happen. Exercise. Connection. Rest. Problem-solving. Watch the level come back toward calm.
Continuous history makes gradual buildups visible over days and weeks. Spot the slow drift before it reaches the point where decisions are no longer yours to make.
Headroom started with a conversation between a service user and a keyworker at Change Grow Live Nottingham. The keyworker introduced the stress-bucket model. The service user, who is a data analyst and developer, built a working application from it.
The developer has used Headroom daily since early 2026 as a personal recovery support tool. This is not a product designed in a lab. It was built by someone who needed it and uses it every day.
Whether you are a recovery service, a funder, or someone who recognises the model from your own experience we would like to hear from you.
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