After a particularly trying day (a late bus, an unexpected downpour, a coworker who insisted on listening to "Thriller" on a continuous loop), who really wants to play a game of housewares Jenga to get a pan out of the kitchen cabinet? It might just be enough to bring your simmering blood pressure to a rolling boil.

Your home should be the ultimate place of restoration, not a field of stress-inducing booby traps or reminders of tasks left undone. "When you walk through the front door, you should feel as though you are stepping into a clearing," says Gail Blanke, motivational speaker and founder of Throwoutfiftythings.com. "Stress-free living is not about decorating or spending money to live up to someone else's idea of Zen design. It's about revealing the good stuff and being free of anything that weighs you down."

And while it's true that what soothes one person might grate on another (swinging desktop clicky balls, we're looking at you), experts swear there are universal ways to boost a home's good vibes in just minutes -- no feng shui makeover or sage-burning required. To rid your home of stressful energy, just follow these 10 easy steps to serenity.

Whether it's a whole room, a nook, or just a chair, make one spot in the house your personal place for peace and joy, Blanke says. Everyone in the family should know that when you are there, you are not to be disturbed. On the flip side, save one area, like a desk or a corner, for the not-so-fun stuff -- bills, papers to file, to-do lists -- and the stress that comes with them.

"The state of your bed reflects the state of your head," says Zen Buddhist priest and author Karen Maezen Miller. Forget hospital corners -- just take a few minutes to smooth the covers out.

Trade the blackout shades in the bedroom for more translucent ones; it's a gentler wake-up call. "When your alarm goes off, your first feeling is resistance, which creates stress," Miller says. "The rest of the world awakes with the sun -- why don't we?"

Consider how each possession makes you feel. Don't keep things with negative energy, like gifts from people you had a falling-out with, photos from unhappy times or failed relationships, unfinished projects, clothes that are too small, or medicines from an old ailment, Blanke says. Make room for things that have a positive association.

(Tip: If you have to mull over whether to toss a particular item, you probably don't need it.)

Make it something you know you should do but don't always get to -- like washing all the dishes in the sink or hanging up clothes. It will help your mind recognize that the day is finished.

Norma Lehmeier Hartie, author of "Harmonious Environment," says greenery reduces stress. Studies have shown that the presence of plants significantly eases the recovery of hospital patients and lowers the blood pressure of office workers.

Got a black thumb? Pick a hardy philodendron, hoya, or aspidistra (often referred to as the "cast-iron plant").

Whether it's a mountain of laundry waiting to be folded or weeks of mail and magazines to sort through, seemingly insurmountable tasks can be paralyzing.

Set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes to make a dent in your chore list, and then let a bell release you -- allowing you to move on to something else. (Hey, it's how monks have kept time in monasteries for centuries.)

If you have an organized place (like a basket and a few hooks) for keys, sunglasses, mail, and all those other things you dump right after you walk through the door, you'll put the kibosh on frazzled mornings.

All the humming turns your home into a "temple of electronic stimulation," Miller says. Better yet, keep televisions and computers out of the bedroom entirely, for sounder sleep.

Hotter tones, like yellows, oranges, and reds, can actually raise your blood pressure. For rooms where you'll want to relax, opt for walls and furnishings in purples, greens, and blues.

Pictured here: Martha Stewart Paint in Violet Aster, Calabash, and Stratosphere. homedepot.com for stores