Why Your Website Might Be Overwhelming for the Neurodivergent

If you’re a wellness professional, you already know how important it is to create spaces that feel safe, supportive, and calming. But have you ever considered whether your website (your very first client touchpoint!) offers that same kind of experience? Creating a neurodivergent-friendly website is one of the simplest ways to extend the care you offer in your practice to your online space.

For neurodivergent people (those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or sensory sensitivities), a site that’s visually cluttered, confusing, or overloaded with content can be more than just frustrating. It can create stress, trigger nervous system responses, or even stop them from reaching out altogether.

And if you’re already thinking, “Ugh, here’s one more thing I have to deal with on my website” – just pause for a sec. Take a deep breath. This isn’t about doing more. We’re just going to look at a few small shifts that can help your site feel clearer, more supportive and honestly… just work better for the people who land there (and for you, too).

Here’s what we’ll cover:

1. What neurodivergent individuals actually experience online
2. Common website mistakes that disrupt neurodivergent people
3. Simple ways to make your website more neurodivergent-friendly
4. Designing with empathy and accessibility in mind
5. Why this matters for wellness professionals
6. Quick fixes and real-life examples
7. A final reflection before you click away
8. FAQs

What neurodivergent individuals actually experience online

For someone who’s neurodivergent – whether they’re living with ADHD, autism, sensory processing sensitivity, or any other variation in how they experience the world – being on a website can feel totally different than it does for everyone else.

What might seem “clean and modern” to you could actually feel visually chaotic to someone with ADHD. A long block of text might be overwhelming for someone with dyslexia. And someone on the autism spectrum might feel disoriented by vague language or unpredictable layouts.

None of this is about being “too sensitive” or doing things the wrong way, it’s just how different brains process information. And if we want people to feel safe and supported in our spaces, online or off, it’s something worth paying attention to.

Especially in wellness work, people often land on your site already feeling anxious, overstimulated, or just plain tired. And your site might be their very first step toward getting support. The way your site feels – visually, energetically, and functionally – can either help them take that next step… or not.

Common website mistakes that disrupt neurodivergent people

These things usually aren’t intentional. In fact, they often come from trying to make your site look beautiful, creative, or “high-end.” But for neurodivergent folks, those same choices can sometimes create the opposite experience – one that feels overstimulating, unclear, or even stressful.

Here are a few of the most common website elements that can unintentionally create friction:

• Animations, pop-ups, or unexpected movement. When something starts autoplaying, flashing, or sliding before someone’s even had a chance to get oriented, it can feel overwhelming – especially for folks who are already in a heightened state or who process visual input differently.
• Cluttered layouts or too many competing visuals. If there are lots of colors, text blocks, overlapping sections, or shifting elements, it becomes harder to focus and easier to click away.
• Long paragraphs with no breaks. Huge walls of text (even well-written ones) can feel like a mountain to climb for someone with dyslexia, ADHD, or cognitive fatigue. White space is your friend!
• Unclear navigation or too many options. When someone doesn’t know where to click or what to do next, it creates decision fatigue. Neurodivergent visitors often do best with simplicity and predictability.
• Abstract or overly poetic language. While words like “soul-led transformation” or “healing embodiment” may speak to your heart, they can leave visitors wondering what you actually do. Clarity doesn’t take away the magic… it just makes it more accessible.

Look, these things don’t make your site “bad”. They’re just clues. And once you start noticing them, it gets so much easier to adjust your site in a way that feels supportive and clear for everyone.

Simple ways to make your website more neurodivergent-friendly

This is where it gets good because making your website easier for neurodivergent people to navigate doesn’t mean stripping away your personality or making things boring. It just means being a little more intentional with how your site is experienced. And spoiler: these tweaks often make things better for everyone, not just neurodivergent folks.

Here are a few small changes that go a long way:

• Use calming, consistent color palettes. Avoid super bright color clashes, busy backgrounds, or hard-to-read text over images. Gentle, cohesive color choices create ease and reduce visual stress.
• Choose clear, readable fonts. Stick to simple fonts (like Open Sans, Lato, or Poppins) and avoid overly decorative ones. Make sure the size is comfortable to read, especially on mobile.
• Give your content breathing room. I say this all the time: white space is your secret weapon. It helps break up text, reduce overwhelm, and gives people a chance to actually absorb what they’re seeing.
• Keep navigation predictable. Don’t make people guess where to go. Stick with familiar menu structures and clear page titles. And I just have to say it: please stop using hamburger menus on desktop sites!! Those little three-line icons are meant for mobile. On a larger screen, they actually make it harder for people to see what their options are, which adds unnecessary friction. When someone’s already overwhelmed, making them hunt for the navigation is the last thing you want.
• Write with clarity and care. Your words can still be soulful and warm, just make sure they’re grounded in something concrete. Explain what your offer is, who it’s for, and how someone can take the next step.
• Avoid surprise movement or sound. If something’s going to move, blink, pop up, or play audio, give people the option to control it. That sense of agency makes a big difference.

Remember, you don’t have to do all of this at once. Even making just one or two of these updates can shift the way your site feels and functions.

And when you’re ready to take a broader look at how your site is functioning overall, I also created a simple website audit checklist. It’s not neurodivergent-specific (although it does touch on accessibility!), but it’s packed with approachable tips that can help you improve your site across the board.

Designing with empathy and accessibility in mind

If you’re in the business of helping people feel better, then accessibility isn’t just a tech checklist – it should be part of the care you offer.

Designing a more neurodivergent-friendly website is about making things easier for real humans. Not “users.” Not “traffic.” But people. Some of whom are navigating your site with brain fog, sensory overload, or decision fatigue. The more ease you build into their experience, the more likely they are to feel supported enough to stick around.

It doesn’t mean your site has to be plain or generic. It just means you’re designing from a place of empathy – considering how someone might be feeling when they land on your site, and doing what you can to make that experience feel clear, welcoming, and low-pressure.

That’s what inclusive design is really about. Not perfection. Just intentionality.

Because when people feel safe interacting with your site, they’re much more likely to trust you, engage with your work, and take that next step toward getting the support they came for.

Why this matters for wellness professionals

If your work supports people’s nervous systems, helps them reconnect with their bodies, or guides them toward healing – your website should reflect that.

So many wellness practitioners put a ton of energy into creating calming, supportive in-person or virtual spaces, but their website ends up feeling like a stressful afterthought. It’s not intentional, it just happens. You’re busy running your business, and the tech stuff can feel like a whole other language.

But your website is part of the care experience. For many people, it’s the very first time they interact with your energy and your work. If that experience feels confusing, overstimulating, or unclear, it can break trust before a connection is ever made.

On the flip side, when your site feels simple, grounded, and thoughtfully put together, it creates a subtle sense of safety. The kind of feeling that helps someone exhale and say, “Okay, I think I’m in the right place.”

And that’s what we want.

Quick fixes and real-life examples

Let’s bring this to life. Here are a few super common things that might be happening on your site right now – and how you can shift them into something that feels clearer, calmer, and easier to use:

• Instead of: a homepage that starts with a big, vague statement like “Welcome to your transformation”
  Try → a simple, clear headline that says what you do and who it’s for. Something like “Breathwork and nervous system support for women navigating burnout”.

• Instead of: a page with huge paragraphs and no subheadings
  Try → breaking things up with short paragraphs, lots of white space, and clear section titles like “How I Work” or “What to Expect”

• Instead of: a hidden hamburger menu on desktop
  Try → a full, visible navigation bar so people can immediately see where to go

• Instead of: using 4–5 different fonts and colors throughout your site
  Try → sticking to 1–2 fonts and 2–3 calming, consistent colors to reduce visual overwhelm

• Instead of: a contact form with 8 required fields and no confirmation message
  Try → a short, simple form (name, email, message) with a friendly “Thanks, I’ll be in touch soon!” after it’s submitted

• Instead of: pop-ups that appear as soon as the page loads
  Try → giving visitors a few seconds to settle in… or better yet, skip pop-ups entirely unless they’re truly helpful

• Instead of: abstract service names like “Sacred Embodiment Pathway”
  Try → pairing poetic names with plain-language explanations. Something like: “Sacred Embodiment Pathway: A 3-month coaching series for women healing from burnout”

• Instead of: large image backgrounds with text layered on top and no contrast
  Try → clean sections with solid backgrounds and text that’s easy to read (especially on mobile)

Again – if this seems like a lot, you don’t have to fix everything at once.

Here’s a 5-minute audit you can do right now:

1. Open your homepage and scroll through it as if you’re a brand new visitor.
2. Ask: Is it obvious what I do? Is it easy to read? Do I feel overwhelmed? Is it easy to take in or is it a little chaotic and loud?
3. Are there big chunks of text that feel hard to read? Look for walls of words, tiny fonts, or sections that could use a little white space.
4. Is your menu easy to find, and does it make sense? Do all your buttons, forms, and links work? Test it like a visitor would – click around and see what the experience actually feels like.

It’s never about perfection. It’s about noticing how your site might feel to someone’s who’s overstimulated, anxious, or simply navigating the web a little differently, and making small shifts to support them better. Even changing one headline, removing one visual distraction, or softening your color palette can shift the energy of your entire site and make someone feel more at ease.

P.S. If you want to keep going, I also wrote a post on 5 simple things to check on your website that can make a big difference – like today-level doable. Read it here.

A final reflection before you click away

When someone visits your site (especially someone who’s neurodivergent, anxious, or just a little overstimulated) how do you want them to feel?

At ease? Clear on what you do? Like they’ve found someone who actually gets it?

That doesn’t happen through a fancy design trend or a perfectly crafted tagline. It happens when your site is built with real humans in mind. When everything from the layout to the copy to the navigation works together to say: “You’re safe here. You’re in the right place. Here’s how to take the next step.”

Like I mentioned earlier, this isn’t about perfection. And it’s definitely not about doing more just for the sake of it. It’s about small, intentional shifts that make your digital space more supportive – for the people you want to serve and for yourself.

So if something in this post sparked a lightbulb moment or made you want to take another look at your site… start there. Pick one thing. Begin small.

And if you’re the kind of person who cares a lot (about your work, your people, doing things well)… it’s easy to feel like you need to fix everything all at once (hi, same). If that’s you, I’ve also shared some gentle, mindful strategies for business owners who are feeling a little maxed out – it might be the support you didn’t know you needed. You can read it here.

And (#2) – if you don’t want to figure it all out on your own? I offer à la carte website services where I can help with things like homepage audits, simplifying your navigation, updating your site copy, or making the overall layout feel calmer and more intuitive. Just reach out, I’d love to help.

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FAQs

1. What is a neurodivergent-friendly website, exactly?
   
   It’s a website designed to reduce overwhelm and make things easier to understand and navigate especially for people with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, sensory sensitivities, or other cognitive differences. It prioritizes clarity, calm design, and accessibility so that more people feel comfortable using it.
   
   
2. Do I need to follow formal accessibility rules like WCAG to be more inclusive?
   
   WCAG guidelines are a great starting point, especially for things like contrast, font sizing, and alt text. But even if you’re not ready to dive into all the technical standards, making your site easier to read, navigate, and understand is already a huge step toward inclusivity.
   
   
3. Can I still have a beautiful website if I simplify it?
   
   Absolutely. Simple doesn’t mean boring. You can still express your personality, brand, and creativity – just in a way that feels supportive and easy to take in. (Think calming layout, clear copy, and thoughtful design.)
   
   
4. What’s the easiest thing I can change first?
   
   Start with your homepage headline. Ask yourself: if someone landed here for the first time, would they know what I do, who it’s for, and how to take the next step? If not, that’s a great place to begin.
   
   
5. How do I know if my site is overwhelming?
   
   Try looking at it through fresh eyes, or better yet, ask a friend to go through it while you watch. If they look confused, ask clarifying questions, or miss important buttons or info, that’s a sign something might need simplifying. And of course, if you want expert eyes on it, I’m here.