Any time can be a good excuse for a spring clean, especially with the start of a new season. If you need to blow away the cobwebs, declutter, ease a little stress and get organised, these self-help books might be able to assist you in refreshing your home and your life.
Declutter & Organization : Finding Balance
I find organisation ‘porn’ to be a bit of a double-edged sword. It can be motivational but OCD can be triggered with the super clean images, and talk of decluttering when our lives feel out of control can be anxiety-inducing. However, I’ve also found that if you let go of a little perfectionism, getting on top of your physical space to a greater degree can be a good place to find the calm you need to sort through your thoughts and regain a sense of control.
You may never feel that everything is tidy or that you have your shit together, so don’t aim for total organisation on an epic scale. Just take tiny steps and hope for incremental benefits, celebrating those small wins along the way. When living with chronic illness and/or chronic pain, cleaning and tidying often need to be paced. Again, those small steps can add up but don’t overdo things. There’s no rush so take it slow and steady.
Spring cleaning isn’t just about getting rid of stuff & cleaning the house. While tidying your physical space can have a positive knock-on effect to your motivation levels and sense of mental wellbeing, you can spring clean other areas of your life too, like decluttering your mind, decluttering your emails and computer files, organising your work life and so on.
Whatever you’re tackling, the aim is to declutter, make more space, get organised and let go of what’s not used or helpful. This should make life going forward a little bit easier and more manageable, freeing up time so you can have more of it to spend on the other important things in your life.
★ Mental Declutter & Refresh ★
The Art of Happiness : A Handbook For Living – The Dalai Lama & Dr Howard C. Cutler
This is described as a “highly accessible guide for a Western audience”, written by Dr Howard C. Cutler to bring us the wisdom and poignant insights of the infamous Dalai Lama. If you want to declutter your life and your mind, this could be a good place to start to free up some of the less important gunk we accumulate over time.
We get to take a deeper look by way of the Tibetan Buddhism principles into the human experience, spiritual freedom and mental liberation. It’s an engaging and enjoyable read while being incredibly profound and thought-provoking.
F**k It : The Ultimate Spiritual Way – John C. Parkin
I read this myself a few years ago and found it incredibly refreshing. Parkin believes his Fuck It approach is akin to the Eastern spiritual concepts around letting go and finding mental freedom but with a more casual edge. If you’re finding the rat race and frustrations of modern day living overwhelming, this book is for you. A little profanity can be a powerful thing when it comes to taking a lighter approach to the things that threaten to overload us, from the pesky frustrations to the bigger problems in life.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck : A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life – Mark Manson
This is another one I read a few years ago taking a similar profanity-based approach. This is a little less spiritual and a little more hands on and personal. Mason acknowledge how positivity can be toxic, making his case and backing it up with poop jokes and academic research to show us the raw truth of life in a way that’s surprisingly refreshing. It’s about embracing uncertainty and fear, accepting our faults, doing away with avoiding, and instead confronting the difficult truths. It’s a down to earth pep talk to shake you awake and give you a new perspective.
‘Lightly: How to Live a Simple, Serene, and Stress-free Life’ – Francine Jay
This book transcends the world of decluttering and looks at your thoughts, actions and moments in your life. This is about the guiding principles behind what you do.
Francine Jay has developed a minimalist guide to living lightly – she encourages and educates us on streamlining our physical space, overhauling our busy schedules, making the most of our time, changing our outlook on life and simplifying it all.
The book covers learning to lighten your stuff, your spirit, your stress and your step, the latter referring to consumption and environmental concerns.
Lighty is both practical and philosophical. If you want to ditch the guilt and busy-ness of life, then this could make your life and your home less cluttered, easier to manage and more pleasurable.
★ Tidying & Decluttering ★
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying – Marie Kondo
“A simple, effective way to banish clutter forever” “The Japanese Sensation – over 1.5 million copies sold”
This is one of those International Bestsellers that was able to spark to life a whole new trend and now there’s a widely popular publication genre for decluttering growing in its wake.
Based on the belief that tidying your physical space has a knock-on effect to the rest of your life, Marie Kondo demonstrates actionable ways to tackle the declutter process with the effective KonMari Method. This approach is one of ‘once-cleaned, never-messy-again’, so it’s designed for longer-lasting results.
This book should provide inspiration and motivation, as well as step by step support to get you where you want to be. It’s one for those of us who procrastinate, who find it hard to let go of physical things, or who feel so overwhelmed with clutter that they don’t know where to start. Once you get tidied up, decluttered and organised, you should feel emotionally calmer, mentally more refreshed, and energised. You might also find you’re more motivated in life and more confident to tackle whatever life throws your way.
Spark Joy – Marie Kondo
“An Illustrated Guide to the Japanese Art of Tidying”
This is a room-by-room, in-depth guide for tidying that comes with illustrations and inspiration. This book is more about the process of getting things organized and how to go beyond that to then usher in more lightness to your life. You’ll learn about the KonMari method of tidying and discover how to be sensitive to joy.
You’ll find actionable steps for tidying various different objects, from papers and cleaning supplies to clothing and sentimental items. Marie explains how to get rid of things you’ve been holding on to “just in case” and how to decide what brings you joy, allowing you to more easily decide what to keep and what to ditch.
There’s guidance on “storing joyfully” and bringing delight and colour in to your life. There’s also a part on learning from the changes and the process.
As well as guidance in paragraphs, there are easy-to-digest tips, real life case study style examples, and sweet illustrations to break up the text.
This is a popular one with over 4,699 ratings on Amazon, earning it an average 4.5 stars.
‘Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home’ – Nikki Boyd
Nikki Boyd shares five crucial steps to declutter and organise your home, bringing to the book her top pieces of advice from her experience as a professional organiser. You’ll discover how to assess your space, successfully declutter, curate your belongings, clean your home efficiently, add pleasure to your everyday tasks and generally get organised. The book looks at cultivating a warm atmosphere, making your home beautiful and welcoming.
The book has earned 3,630+ ratings with a 4.5 star average.
‘Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste’ – Bea Johnson
Environmental considerations are increasingly at the forefront of social thinking, political promises and business pursuits these days. Bea Johnson has put her experience of simplifying her life into this book, after she, her husband and their two song found their life change for the better when they cut down on consumption and waste. They claim to produce a mere single quart of garage annually, while cutting annual spending by 40% and feeling healthier than ever.
The book provides insights, how-to guidance and practical tools as Bea takes us through the concepts and processes of Zero Waste and sustainability, making them easy and do-able in our everyday lives. Living a reduced waste lifestyle is designed to be better for your wallet, your family, your health and the planet.
Hinch Yourself Happy – Mrs Hinch
I’ve never read or watched any Mrs Hinch but it’s hard to not come across the name given her wild popularity. This particular book – Hinch Yourself Happy – is another trendsetter, having racked up an impressive 18,015+ ratings on Amazon for a 4.5 star average. It’s the Number One Sunday Times Bestseller, as well as being classed by the Mail Online as one of the best books to organise your home in 2020.
Mrs Hinch has over 3 million followers after showcasing her addictive tidying and organising tips to the world. Tidying and cleaning can do wonders for releasing pent up tension and easing anxiety, leaving you feeling calmer once your space is sparkling and refreshed.
This book claims to cover how cleaning can soothe stress, Mrs Hinch’s must have products, step by step instructions for Hinching your home, “and so much more!”
★ Getting Organised ★
Mrs Hinch: The Little Book Of Lists – Mrs Hinch
This gets a whopping 5 star average on Amazon with over 17,570 ratings. This appears to be a ring bound book of Hinch Lists, Tadaa Lists and Fresh’n Up Fridays lists. This is a book to get you ticking boxes and feeling productive, keeping you motivated and on track.
The Little Bullet Book : Be Gorgeously Organised – David Sinden
This one little beautifully designed book is intended to give you a place to put all of your plans, thoughts, lists and sketches together in an organised fashion.
The Little Bullet Book is a “creative and productive organisational system”, where you will be helped to sort out your weekly and monthly goals, as well as your future hopes, with codes for marking different types of tasks and keeping on top of them. You’ll get to note down your daily reminders, aspirations and diary appointments, complete with inspirational nuggets throughout to keep you motivated.
Decluttering At The Speed Of Life : Winning Your Never-Ending Battle With Stuff – Diana K. White
What I like about this book is that it proposes uncovering the reasons behind why decluttering can be difficult. There’s not just procrastination but challenges with throwing certain things away, wondering about ‘what-if’s or saving things ‘just in case’. Diana identifies these emotional declutter hurdles and mindsets, then takes us through workable solutions to move forward.
This book adds a humorous edge to keep things light and engaging, offering both strategies and usable tools so you can declutter, change your mindset, break through the mental barriers, clean through room by room, help others declutter, and so on.
The book acknowledges how decluttering can seem like a never ending job, but she focuses on making it feel easier, more enjoyable and more natural once you get into the swing of it and find your groove.
★ Spring Clean Living ★
Zen: The Art of Simple Living – Shunmyō Masuno
Drawing on centuries of Zen Buddhist wisdom, Masuno brings together one lesson a day for 100 days. He shows us how to apply the spirit of Zen to modern day life, such as with dealing with negative emotions, rearranging our belonging and our space to bring peace to our busy minds, stressing less and letting go of what we can’t control, and so on.
Living life with the spirit of Zen can help you feel more at peace, calmier and more fulfilled. It brings balance into your life and helps with mental decluttering, and the easy to follow, one-a-day style makes it convenient for the busiest, most stressed out of readers.
Cluttered Mess to Organized Success Workbook – Cassandra Aarssen
Declutter & Organize Your Home and Life with over 100 Checklists and Worksheets
This is a workbook designed to get your life organised from top to bottom. Cassandra gives advice but this workbook also provides practical, actionable support in the way of over 100 different worksheets, schedules, labels, forms and so on. These tools are essentially everything you might need to get your life, your home, your family and your time organised, decluttered and under control.
With 1,495+ ratings earning it an average 4.5 stars, it’s a popular choice. Judging by a few of the comments, this may be more of an organisation toolkit for those in the US, and those with children as some elements evolve around family organisation.
Cassandra Aarssen is also the bestselling author of another organisation book, ‘Real Life Organizing’.
Joy At Work : Organising Your Professional Life – Marie Kondo & Scott Sonenshein
This time Marie takes on our professional lives, whether you work in an office, in the field or at home, part time or full time or any other format your work life takes.
Marie and Scott give advice and tips on improving how you work, including how to organise your desk and declutter your email folders. They take us through how to ditch distractions and get a more fulfilling work/life balance. The book also looks at how to focus on those things that spark joy so we can experience more enjoyment and less stress from work, which is important considering employment can make up a large proportion of many people spend their lives.
The Home Edit Life : The Complete Guide to Organizing Absolutely Everything at Work, at Home and On the Go – Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin
The New York Times Number One Bestseller. A Netflix Original Series.
The cover image shouts organisation porn, with items nearly lined up and colour co-ordinated on shelves. This book is an all-in-one affair, taking us through organisation of absolutely everything in our lives.
If you’re feeling everything is a mess and you want a little control back, this might help you get there (or drive you mad trying).
The authors here acknowledge that you needn’t live a minimalist lifestyle to feel calm and happy, so you can still have all of the colour and the stuff and the busy-ness in your life. Their focus is on how you can contain some of the chaos in every area of your life, from kids and pets, to your home, travel, leisure and work life, making your every day a little easier, less stressful and more enjoyable.
This is full of practical, useable tips and tricks to getting organised in a practical sense. It also takes us through the mentality of embracing your life and creating an organising style that works for you.
These books can be fantastic for inspiration and actionable tips, so you can flick through or listen to them at your leisure when you need the boost.
If OCD thinking/behaviours become an issue, take a step away and find strategies to distract and ground yourself. If you live with chronic illness, fatigue or pain, make sure to pace any form of spring cleaning and do it at your own speed.
Do you find a good declutter can be refreshing and energising, or do you find it can trigger OCD tendencies? Is having more organization in your life positive for your mental health?
Caz ♥
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50 comments
Some great titles here. Just what we all need. We’re about to move house so some of this is definitely on the cards!
Moving house is a good time for decluttering, often a necessary time when you can’t physically take it all with you! How’re things going so far? I hope the move and everything involved goes as smoothly as possible ????????
Great picks! I love Marie Kondo’s folding technique. It made me wonder how I got it so wrong for most of my life…
It’s cool learning new ways to do things, especially if they make something quicker and easier! ????
It’s somehow self contradicting, to buy all these book just about de-cluttering, when all you need to do is start throwing away stuff! 😀
That’s why you get them as Kindle ebooks! ????
It’s ironic though, isn’t it? Sometimes tips or motivation and inspiration can be so helpful for a lot of folks, making these sorts of books priceless.
Very interested in Zen: The Art of Simple Living. Thank you.
Your comments at the beginning, though, are worth a fortune. Today we are decluttering, cleaning as we go, and pacing ourselves. I guess we are actually doing something right! ????????????
I hope you like it if you decide to check it out. I’m glad you like my initial comments, too – thank you. I thought it was important to preface the whole cleaning & decluttering malarky because it can be great, but it can be triggering for individuals with OCD. It can also be immensely frustrating if you live with illness/pain/disability and find you are forever tidying because you can’t get everything done in one go as you’d like to. Pacing is definitely important (even if it does drive you around the bend at times!) I hope you & Sandy are both keeping as well as possible over there ????
The first book on your list I have read.
Yes, I like to be clutter free. I feel better for it. But as you know, I had to adapt a little because I took on a couple of pieces of furniture. I was ok in the end about it.
If clutter starts to appear, than its in the kitchen – pots mounting up over a few days. That’s not good for me and a sign to look out for me.
The Art Of Happiness is an interesting read, isn’t it? I’m glad you’ve read that one. You make a good point about ‘signs’ when things start to pile up and it being a warning that we’re maybe stressed, have too much to do and need to make more time in some way. x
Caz, I love this list you have compiled here, I’m always interested in new books and this topic is dear to me. I’ve read, lightly, the life-changing magic of tidying, loved both of them.
I’ve tried reading Mark Manson a couple of times, got it from the library and returned it unread, LOL just couldn’t get into it.
Occasionally I look at Mrs. Hinch on insta but haven’t read her books, you now have peaked my interest.
Thanks for this list and reviews, I’m now looking into just about every book you mention here.
For me a good declutter can be so energizing and refreshing love it. thank you dear Caz, xoxo
I’m glad you like the post, thank you lovely. It’s great you enjoyed Lightly and the Magic of Tidying, both of which seem to be very popular. Shame you weren’t keen on Mark Mansonthough – definitely not everyone’s cuppa tea ???? I think you also need to be in the right frame of mind for ones like that, because while I really enjoyed the Fuck It style books, I had to be willing to indulge in the approach, if that makes any sense.
I’m curious about Mrs Hinch, too. I thought it was all rather faddy and not my kind of thing, but she’s incredibly popular and does seem to come up with some very useful tips.
Like you, I also find decluttering to be very refreshing. It’s just not the same for me these days but the sense of ‘aah’ afterwards is still there. Have a lovely weekend, Masha ???? x
I bought all 16 books and now they are cluttered all over my desk and home office!! What do I do NOW? ????
That’s what Kindle eBooks were invented for ????
I didn’t know there were so many books on de-cluttering. Some of the titles made me laugh out loud. We’ve been de-cluttering for about a year. Pretty much clean everything out. What a wonderful feeling too.
Less is more.
Have a fabulous day, Caz. ♥
Some of the titles are pretty good! ???? I think decluttering can feel never-ending sometimes but you’re right, it’s a wonderful feeling and sense of refreshment when you achieve parts of the process or the end result. Less really is more, isn’t it? I hope you two have a wonderful weekend boating to celebrate your anniversary! xx
A fab list and some that I am considering. I have read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and it is well worth persevering with for those that gave up at the start. I try hard to keep up with giving my f*cks appropriately. As for decluttering, that has got better as I have got older, but I will never be Mrs Hinch!
Absolutely agree on the Subtle Art book and persevering – it’s not everyone’s cuppa tea, but sometimes you just need to be in the right mindset to indulge in the No Fucks approach. It was certainly an eye-opener for me and a good one for dipping in and out of when you need a boost. Thanks for the comment, Ria! ????
Some great titles on your list. I’ve pinned for future reference for when I need a little inspiration or motivation. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, I’m glad you like the list! There are certainly some interesting ones out there at the moment for a boost of inspiration & motivation ???? Have a lovely weekend ahead, Michelle. xx
It’s time for a good Spring cleaning, isn’t it? I like how we can focus on an area we need to tidy up and there’s a book for that. 🙂
There’s a book for almost anything now, which is pretty good if you need a little inspiration and motivation, or some tips to make tidying more effective. I agree, it does feel like a good time for spring cleaning. My email inboxes also need extreme decluttering! Have a lovely weekend ???? x
You, too, dear Caz. ????????
Oh my goodness. I need all of these! Lol.
There are heaps of interesting ones out there at the moment for tips, inspiration and motivation. Better to just pick one or two otherwise you’ll have more brain clutter to deal with! ????
Some great suggestions! I recently bought the f*ck it eBook and look forward to reading that. I have read the Art of Happiness and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, but will check out the rest! Thanks!
Ooo I hope you like the Fuck It eBook! If You liked The Subtle Art then I imagine you’ll quite like this one, though I think you need to be in the right frame of mind for the no-fucks approach. Enjoy! ????
The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck. Ha. I’m sure I’d love this one.
It’s a good one if you currently give too many fucks & need to reduce the fucks given. ????
You have an interesting collection of organizational books here Caz. Who knew there were so many??? I’ve been working on organizing things a little at a time over the last year or so, and being organized has made me enjoy my home even more. I still have quite a few projects to tackle, but I’m getting there. ???? Some of these books look like they’d be really helpful. Thanks for sharing them!
Small steps are the best way (perhaps the only way?) with chronic illness and pain. Sounds like you’re making a dent though and if it makes you enjoy your home a little more then it’s all worth it ???? As for the books, there are certainly some very popular ones in the ever-expanding niche! I think they’re great for dipping in and out of when you need the inspiration and motivation, whether you want to declutter your mind or your home. Thanks for the comment, Terri – have a restful weekend! xx
Such a good topic, Caz. It definitely helps to find the right book to relate to and help you make a start. And decluttering is incredibly satisfying no matter how slowly you take it. It just becomes a new routine. We’ve made some really good headway in 3 years, but still a way to go. And you just start loving your home more and changing your mindset on so much. You’ve reminded me that I must share on the books I found helpful. I even enjoy shredding now!! Well, one or two sheets that is.???? Penny ???? xxx
Sounds like you’ve got the decluttering bug, too! I’m glad you feel the benefits from it with your mindset and the way you appreciate your home all the more. I do think these sorts of books can be good either for learning new tips or just getting a boost of inspiration and motivation when you need it. I’d love to see what books you’ve found helpful, Penny. That’s a blog post right there! ???? xx
I live in clutter. I can’t say I’m happy about that lol but I always seem to be surrounded by clutter. I do feel good when I have a decluttering frenzy (small space at a time) but it never lasts. I turn my back for a second and clutter has grown again. Hmmm…maybe I could use some books. You’ve given a great selection Caz, thank you.
Some people find clutter comforting and inspiring, so it’s very much an individual thing. Like you, I feel good after mini decluttering frenzies too, it’s so refreshing and gives you a sense of achievement. But you’re right, it just seems to come right back again! I’m glad you like the book selection, there are lots of popular titles out there these days. Thanks, Liz – have a relaxing weekend ???? x
We moved recently and I’ve been all about putting things away in organized ways as we unpack rather than just here and there. I think it’ll make things easier in the long run (although unpacking is taking awhile, lol!). Thanks for the books for my reading list 🙂
Organized unpacking is a good idea. There’s often the pressure to get everything done quickly though and that’s where it gets messy ???? Hope it all goes as smoothly as possible and that you’re settling in well! xx
Thank you for sharing!!… will do some research on the books but mainly I just follow my heart!… 🙂
Until we meet again…
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
(Irish Saying)
Thank you for another beautiful comment – keep following your heart ????
Hey Caz, I see you are busier than ever! I love your selection, especially for these Covid times when people have more time (in general) for getting organised.
I’ve been doing a bit of Spring cleaning myself – even though for us it’s Autumn. One new thing for me lately are the vacuum sealable plastic bags. I usually just put unused doonas, cushions and such into the linen press. This year I’ve saved an enormous amount of space with the vacuum bags. Only a woman could feel such joy.. 🙂
xoxoxo
You’re right, there’s a shift for many folks towards organization, cleaning, tidying and such during these times. Those vacuum seal bags are fantastic, aren’t they? I use them for clothes and bedding that aren’t being used to store them on top of a wardrobe. Joy in the small things, Carolyn! ????
Charlee: “Our Dada says we could have written that ‘F**k It’ book, on account of we’re cats.”
Chaplin: “I suppose he’s write. We probably could have written it. But you know what?”
Charlee: “We just said f**k it.”
You two do realize you sound like furry little psychopaths when you talk like that, right? Also, Chaplin, you spelled “write” wrong.
Chaplin: “Pffft. Everyone knows you write our comments for us.”
Don’t go blaming someone else for your spelling errors, Chaplin ???? But Dada’s right, kittykats have the market on the fuck it approach. You have it down to a T!
Wow, you must be sooooo decluttered and destressed after that lot… 😉
✨????????????????????????????????☯????✨
If not then there’ll probably a book for, “Still In A Mess?” ????
Ridiculously brilliant post Caz! I love how you chose something for every personality type and every situation.
You and I have touched on this subject before, I believe. Seems to me we both said that a “cluttered life” full of unrealistic schedules and demands ends up in total disaster. Few things are worse than feeling overwhelmed on every side. Any energy we did have to deal with something is drained by the overwhelm itself. I’m definitely a BIG believer in finding some peace in our lives by simply letting go so that we can receive what actually matters!
To answer your question, I definitely find organizing, minimalism, and de-cluttering in general to be helpful and energizing. However, I also wholeheartedly agree with you that for many people, it can trigger some perfectionistic and OCD tendencies. Obviously that would defeat the purpose of ‘improving’ our lives to start with. I love how you touched on this to let people know it’s perfectly okay to take it slow, especially if physical or mental limitations are involved. ♥ So important!
The book from Nikki Boyd looks intriguing to me. I also love the concept of ‘spark joy.’ Thank you for sharing these my friend. Such a phenomenal and helpful list worthy of checking out! I’ve shared so others can benefit!
BIG hugs and lotsa love. ♥ Holly
Aww thank you, Holly! I really appreciate you checking the post out, not to mention leaving such an awesome comment. You have enough on to deal with yourself so that means a lot ???? And yep, the whole “cluttered life” issue can cause so much frustrated and extra exhaustion from the overwhelm. I’m still trying to sort things out and it’s a never-ending task, but having to pace slows things down considerably and I suppose it makes you learn to try to enjoy the process a little more.
Thank you for sharing and I’m really glad you like the post and the book suggestions! Have a relaxing weekend lovely xx
Really awesome, so thorough with excellent examples and transitionings.