How it works
What's behind this check-in
How Are You, Really? looks casual on purpose. Underneath is a short, structured set of questions about everyday areas of life — mood, worry, stress, sleep, connection, habits, and what's helping you cope.
There's still no score to beat. Nothing here diagnoses you, labels you, or replaces a conversation with a GP or someone you trust. Think of it as a thoughtful journal prompt with a bit of shape.
What it looks at
Your answers paint a fuller picture than “fine.” In plain terms, it looks at:
- How you're feeling right now — mood, worry, stress
- What might be adding to the load — sleep, connection, self-talk, habits
- What's supporting you — resilience, awareness, balance
Everyone's picture is different. Some people sit mostly in a steady range. For some people, one or two areas are worth a closer look. That doesn't mean something is “wrong with you” — it means it's a moment worth noticing.
How your answers are read
Everything happens in your browser — nothing is sent to a server for scoring. Each area is shown as a gentle band (for example “Strong”, “Within a healthy range”, “Worth a closer look”) instead of a raw number. A single number can feel like a judgment. A band is just a snapshot — a tendency across lots of people, at one point in time. It is never a diagnosis.
Where the shape comes from
The questions draw on common themes used in wellbeing research (mood and stress, sleep, loneliness, coping, and related areas). Some sets are shortened so the whole check-in takes about ten minutes rather than a long battery. Ranges are working guides, not clinical cut-offs, and may be refined over time from anonymous, aggregate patterns — never from your named answers.
We do not claim this check-in is clinically validated, an assessment, a screening tool, or a test. Until a separate clinical collaboration says otherwise, treat it as structured self-reflection.
What the research says
Australia runs thorough national surveys, so we don't have to guess how common a tough time is:
- In any given year, about one in five Australians aged 16–85 goes through a mental disorder; across a lifetime it's about two in five.
- Of the adults affected in a year, fewer than half see a health professional about it.
- Among people aged 16–24 it's higher still — close to two in five in a single year.
The point isn't to worry you. Struggling is common, support can be patchy, and noticing early is one of the few things genuinely within reach. People can and do get better.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020–2022.
Who made this
How Are You, Really? is a personal project by Ape Labs, an Australian digital studio. It's a check-in, not a clinic — it doesn't diagnose or treat anything. It's here to help you understand yourself a little better and decide what (if anything) feels useful next.
When to get more than a check-in
For some people, a quiet look-in and a small next step will be enough. If things stick around, feel overwhelming, or get in the way of work, study, home, or relationships, reach out. That is not failure.
If you, or someone you care about, are in crisis, call triple zero (000). You can also go to your local hospital emergency department. Stay with the person until they can access professional support.
If you need to speak with someone now, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 (15+). A GP, Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), Head to Health, or SANE (1800 187 263, 18+) can help if it is not an emergency. If you or they are 25 or under, Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) and eheadspace (1800 650 890) are also there.
Last updated August 2026.
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