If you open Notion and feel a small wave of dread, you’re not alone. Notion is an incredibly flexible tool, but that flexibility has a dark side: it’s really easy to build a workspace that feels like a tangled web of databases, pages, and links. You start with a simple idea, and a year later you’ve got 47 pages, no idea where anything is, and a constant background hum of anxiety.
In this post, I want to talk about why that happens and what you can do about it. I’ll share the common mistakes I see in overwhelmed workspaces, and the specific fixes that have worked for me and for our customers.
## The paradox of choice
Notion gives you infinite possibilities. You can make a page for anything, link anything to anything, and create databases that look like spreadsheets on steroids. But with infinite possibilities comes infinite decisions. Every time you create a new page, you have to decide where to put it, what to name it, and how to connect it to everything else. That’s cognitive overhead, and it adds up quickly. The more stuff you have, the more decisions you’re making, and the more overwhelmed you feel.
The fix is to embrace constraints. Limit yourself to a few core pages. Use a standard naming convention. And don’t add a new database until you’ve hit a real limit with the ones you have. Constraints are freeing, not limiting.
## The “just in case” trap
We love to organize things “just in case” we need them later. That’s how we end up with a page for every potential client, a database for every hobby, and a folder system that mirrors the entire internet. But the truth is, you don’t need to organize what you don’t have. If you’re not actively working with something, it doesn’t need a permanent home in your workspace. You can keep it in a “Someday” list, or just let it go.
## The maintenance problem
Any system requires maintenance, but some systems require more than others. If you have twenty databases with complex relations, you’re going to spend more time fixing your system than using it. The more moving parts, the more things break. The fix is to simplify: fewer databases, fewer properties, fewer links. Aim for the smallest system that works for you.
## The aesthetic anxiety
Let’s be honest: a lot of us use Notion because it’s pretty. We spend hours choosing the perfect cover image, adjusting the font, and picking out emoji icons. But that’s a form of procrastination. It feels productive, but it’s actually avoidance. And when your workspace doesn’t look as good as the ones on YouTube, you feel inadequate, which adds to the overwhelm.
The fix is to remind yourself that aesthetics are a bonus, not the goal. Focus on function first. Use a simple, clean design that you can set up in five minutes, and you can always add polish later.
## A simple system you can start today
If you’re ready to feel better, here’s a simple exercise. Delete or archive everything that isn’t a current project or a recurring responsibility. Keep your dashboard to one page with three sections: Today, This Week, and Projects. That’s it. Use a single database for your tasks, and don’t create sub-pages unless you really need them. This might feel too simple, but that’s the point. Simplicity is the cure for overwhelm.
We’ve built our templates around this principle — they’re designed to be simple, calm, and easy to maintain. If you want a head start, check out our library. But even if you don’t, I hope this guide helps you find some peace in your workspace.