Books are often the hardest things to part with but they should be treated like everything else in your home, kept only if they truly spark joy in your life. Once you’ve decided which books to let go, we’ll pick them up for free and make sure they find new readers while supporting CAMH. Use the guide below to help decide which ones to keep and which to pass on.
The best approach for book decluttering:
Step 1: Gather All Your Books
The first and most crucial step is to remove every single book from your shelves and any other places they might be stored and place them all on the floor in one spot. This includes books in bookcases, on nightstands, in drawers, in storage boxes – everywhere. You need to see the total volume of books you own to truly understand how many you have. If this is too overwhelming, start with one shelf at a time and do this systematically. It’s important not to evaluate while the books are still on the shelf. You can’t truly judge if a book sparks joy when it’s merely in plain sight.
Step 2: Pick Up Each Book and Ask Yourself: Does This Spark Joy?
One by one, take each book in your hands. As you hold each book, ask yourself sincerely, does this book spark joy within me? Pay attention to the feeling you get when you touch the book. This feeling of joy is your criteria for deciding what to keep and what to let go. Keep only the books that “speak to your heart”.
Step 3: Focus on Feeling, Not Function or Information
It’s important to avoid getting caught up in whether you think you might read it again or if it contains useful information. These considerations can cloud your judgment. When we say “I might read it again someday” that “someday” often means “never”. If you haven’t read it yet, consider if it truly sparks joy just by having it. For books you’ve started but haven’t finished, or books you bought but haven’t started, apply the same joy criteria.
Step 4: Identify Books for Your “Hall of Fame”
Think about books that you truly love and might read again and again. These belong in your personal Book Hall of Fame. These should bring you clear joy, they should be kept and potentially displayed openly.
Step 5: Graciously Discard Books That Don’t Spark Joy
For the books that do not spark joy, thank them for the role they played in your life. Even if you haven’t read a book, it may have served a purpose in its time. Let them go with gratitude, understanding that keeping them when they don’t bring you joy doesn’t benefit you or the book.
Step 6: Immediately Remove Discarded Books
Once you’ve decided to discard a book, remove it from your “keep” pile immediately. This helps maintain momentum and avoids reconsidering your decisions.
Step 7: Consider Donating Books That No Longer Spark Joy
For the books you have thanked and are ready to let go of, consider scheduling your free pickup with Donate Differently where your books can find a new purpose, bring joy to someone else while also supporting Canadian mental health programs and research.
