Self-Improvement The 10 Best Books on Organization of 2022 Read your way to a more organized life By Mary K. Tatum, MS, LMHC Mary K. Tatum, MS, LMHC Mary K. Tatum is a licensed mental health counselor and psychotherapist and has worked in the field of psychology for over 15 years, with seven years in the private practice setting. Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 16, 2021 Learn more." data-inline-tooltip="true"> Fact checked Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Marley Hall Fact checked by Marley Hall Marley Hall is a writer and fact checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education. Learn about our editorial process Print We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Some people clean to get rid of occasional anxiety; however, research shows that keeping an organized home has a profound effect on a person's long-term well-being. Often, people see their home as an extension of their lives, and some even find that it represents their current state of health. If someone's space is cluttered and disorganized, it can signal that they are busy, overwhelmed, chronically stressed, or lacking motivation around daily responsibilities. While decluttering and organizing can seem overwhelming—especially if you live in a large space—guidance can be helpful. You can seek out professional assistance, but if you want a budget-friendly option, there are plenty of organizational books on the market. To take the first step to an organized home, here are the best books on organization. Our Top Picks Get Organized Quick at Amazon Jump to Review The Home Edit Life at Amazon Jump to Review Martha Stewart's Organizing at Amazon Jump to Review Beyond Organizing at Amazon Jump to Review The Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room at Amazon Jump to Review The Declutter Challenge at Amazon Jump to Review The Little Book of Life Skills at Amazon Jump to Review Order from Chaos at Amazon Jump to Review Tidying Up with Marie Kondo at Amazon Jump to Review Cluttered Mess to Organized Success Workbook at Amazon Jump to Review In This Article Expand Our Picks What to Look For Why Trust Verywell Mind Get Organized Quick: 15 Minutes a Day to Organize your Life Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon Pros Easy to follow guide Short (100 pages) Ideal for visual learners Cons Requires consistency Easy to fall out of routine Filled with easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations, this book shows you how to transform your home into an organized space in 15-minute increments. It takes you through tasks one day at a time, making organizing easier to manage. If you're a person that likes to follow a schedule, this could be a good option. Just note that you have to be dedicated for the plan to work. Price at time of publication: $16 The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com Pros Beautiful layout Simple instructions Effective strategies Cons Requires a lot of purchases Requires a lot of time From the popular Netflix series comes a how-to book for organizing your own space. The Home Edit Life dives into simple tasks and tips that will help you clean every inch of your life—including your purse, the refrigerator, and more. The instructions are simple and easy to follow, and the photos provide some organizing motivation. Price at time of publication: $29 Martha Stewart's Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com Pros Practical information Beautiful layout and pictures Organizes many facets of life Cons Requires a lot of time Requires consistency Join Martha Stewart in her organizing book, which will help you sort, purge, tidy, and simplify your life. From rooms to closets, the book gives you day-by-day or week-by-week plans to manage big organizing projects. It's also divided into three sections for easy reading—organize your life, organize your home, and organize your routine. Finished off with tips to increase productivity, the book includes goal-setting plans and information on how to achieve long-term success. Price at time of publication: $30 The Best Self-Help Books for Women, According to a Mental Health Counselor Beyond Organizing: The Indispensable Principles to Organize and Empower People Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon Pros Informative Inspiring Effective techniques Cons No pictures Longer in length The Beyond Organizing book focuses on goal setting and good business practices—both of which require organization. It's unique in that it offers relationship-focused advice and urges readers to focus on the relationships in their lives in addition to goals and productivity. Available in a paperback version or through Kindle, you can learn valuable lessons at home or on the go. Price at time of publication: $20 The Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room: And How To Keep It That Way Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart Pros Very effective method Beautiful photos Easy-to-read language Cons Requires time investment Needs family cooperation Comprised of checklists and step-by-step instructions, this book will motivate you to tackle a variety of organizing projects. It includes clear guidance and beautiful photographs to help you maintain your new routine and practical tips for long-term tidiness. Filled with over 270 pages of life advice, this book will give you everything you need to organize each room in your home. Price at time of publication: $27 The Declutter Challenge: A Guided Journal for Getting your Home Organized in 30 Quick Steps Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com Pros Journal style Helpful sketches Effective techniques Cons Requires dedication and time Focus is on decluttering only Written in a journal-style format, this book challenges you to declutter your home. 30 simple steps help you organize through supportive prompts, exercises, mindfulness, and self-motivation. Plus, it's interactive, meaning you can track your progress and reflect on the steps throughout the book. Price at time of publication: $10 The Little Book of Life Skills: Deal with Dinner, Manage Your Email, Make a Graceful Exit, and 152 Other Expert Tricks Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart Pros Very helpful information Easy-to-read format Promotes confidence Cons No pictures Requires new skill practice Developing healthy and effective life skills can lead to good mental health, positive emotional health, relationships, and productivity. This book helps you build the proper skills to do everything from managing your email to preparing dinner. Simple to follow, The Little Book To Life Skills offers basic strategies for optimal organization, efficiency, and productivity. Price at time of publication: $20 The Best Stress Management Books, Recommended by a Counselor Order from Chaos: The Everyday Grind of Staying Organized with Adult ADHD Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Barnesandnoble.com Pros Effective techniques Hits multiple aspects of life Easy-to-read and follow Cons Longer in length Requires dedication “Order and Chaos” was written specifically for people with ADHD who might struggle with disorganization and chaos in their routine. Since ADHD brains operate differently than non-ADHD brains, this book is beneficial for readers looking for targeted organization tips. Backed by ADHD authorities, educators, and doctors, this book is designed to teach you how your brain works and how to stop it from getting in your own way. Price at time of publication: $17 Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin Reveals Her 10 Favorite Stress Relief Products Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: The Book Collection: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com Pros Effective techniques Brings out positive emotions Bundle pack saves money Cons Need to read both books for full effect Requires time commitment Marie Kondo is known as one of the best decluttering and organizing experts to date. In her book, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, she dives into how you can find joy in organizing. This two-book collection features "Tidying Up" and "Spark Joy," which both provide practical advice and illustrations to help you live a decluttered life. Price at time of publication: $22 Cluttered Mess to Organized Success Workbook: Declutter and Organize your Home and Life Courtesy: Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com Pros Effective techniques Worksheets and checklists included Fun design and layout Cons Long-term commitment Requires family cooperation With over 100 checklists and worksheets, this book makes the organizing process more manageable. The checklists and worksheets help you create an at-home system to work toward your specific goals. It also takes into consideration time constraints for those who need to organize in a hurry. When your routine gets busy, this book teaches you how to manage a busy schedule and an orderly life at the same time. Price at time of publication: $20 Final Verdict "Get Organized Quick” (view at Amazon) is a great option for beginner organizers or anyone in need of organization tips while balancing a hectic schedule. If you're looking for an interactive option, “The Declutter Challenge” (view at Amazon) uses journals to help you track your progress and stay motivated. What to Look for in Books on Organization Time Find a book that realistically fits into your schedule. Decide how much time you have to commit to a project, and choose a book that won't make your life more overwhelming. Maintaining an organizing routine will also take time, so if you're constantly busy, a short book with small projects could be a good option. If you have more time and the ability to stay dedicated, options like those from Marie Kondo and Martha Stewart may work. Level of Detail Do you want to get your home into decent shape, or do you want to tackle every little organizing project you can handle? It's important to choose a book and a system that fits your needs. It's also important to find a method that you can maintain over time. Declutter vs. Organize Decluttering and organizing are two different things—even though doing one helps the other. Decluttering is more of a project, while organizing is more of a system and consistent routine. Some books focus more on one than the other. Frequently Asked Questions Why is organization important? Rachel Rosenthal, organizing expert, speaker, and owner of Rachel and Company, views getting organized not just as a one-time event but as a way of life. “Having your physical space organized impacts your emotional well-being,” she says. “Getting and staying organized will help reduce stress, cut down on the time you spend looking for things and instead give you time to do what you want to be spending time doing.”Organization isn't just about putting things in color-coded order or bins and baskets, Rosenthal adds. “It’s about putting systems in place to allow you and your family to function better on a daily basis,” she explains. “It’s about giving you more control over the things you can control, like your physical space.” Hopefully, a calmer space will lead to a calmer person—one who is less stressed and has more time to focus on what really matters to them. “If physical clutter is bogging you down, remember that it is just stuff,” says Rosenthal. “The ‘stuff’ does not have emotions and the emotional ties that you have to this stuff is likely a reflection of the great memories that those things remind you of.” How can I improve my organizational skills at home? Rosenthal recommends starting small. “You don't need anything except some time set aside,” she says. To help you get started, here are some simple, quick organization ideas:Pull out any items from each room that don't belong and put the items back in their designated home, like toys or clothing that may have found their way into the guest room.Discard any expired or unwanted condiments, sauces, and spreads from your fridge. Then, group the remaining items together when storing contents back in the fridge.Choose a category on your pantry shelf (i.e. cans) to review expirations, categorize, and then store accordingly.Collect all of the little hotel bottles, makeup and perfume samples, and mini lotions from your bathroom drawers and ask yourself if you’ll realistically use them. If the answer is “yes”, then categorize and consolidate them into either a zippered pouch or small bin.Scan the contents of your medicine cabinet for expiration dates and appropriately discard what’s no longer usable or needed. Why Trust Verywell Mind? As a Licensed mental health counselor, Mary K. Tatum has spent over 15 years working with people who struggle with anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and OCD symptoms. The space we live in greatly contributes to, or against, our state of mental health and well-being. While we deal with the inevitable stress and chaos of life, it’s important to equip ourselves with as many helpful tools and options as possible. How to Be More Organized 2 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Rogers CJ, Hart DR. Home and the extended-self: Exploring associations between clutter and wellbeing. J Envir Psychol. 2021;73:101553. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101553 American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. ADHD & the brain. No. 121. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit