When you think of the calmest room in your home, the kitchen probably isn’t the first area to pop in your mind—especially when we’ve all been spending more time in this space than ever before. Here are some easy tips that will make your kitchen one of the calmest places to be.

Clear off your countertops.

A few staple appliances—the toaster, mixer, and coffee maker—are fine, but too much clutter on the countertops can quickly lead to overwhelming feelings when you enter this space. Take the time to put away anything you don’t use on a semi-regular basis. (And give the countertops a good cleaning while you’re at it!)

Get rid of clutter.

Your kitchen often becomes a place where other, non-cooking related items pile up. Junk mail, homework, work notes, and the like tend to gather here. Make it a priority to keep your kitchen free from these types of items.

Keep the citrus bowl full.

Oranges, lemons, limes … citrus fruits elicit a feeling of cleanliness and calm, so be sure to regularly restock. Plus, lemon water is a great way to start your day, and seeing this pop of bright yellow every time you go in the kitchen serves as a helpful reminder to kick off your morning on a high note.

Make it a no-phone zone.

Typically this rule is applied to the bedroom, but if your kitchen is giving you feelings of stress, the same rule applies. Print out recipes instead (or buy a cookbook you’ve had your eye on). Try not to take important calls in the kitchen and make a point to not check your email.

Reorganize accordingly.

If you’ve found yourself baking more bread but the sheet pans are stored in the furthest corner of your cabinet, take time to reorganize according to what you use most often.

And lastly…

Keep a small speaker nearby.

Cooking or baking with your favorite playlist on is sure to give you an instant mood boost!