A Restless Mind

When rajas guna (the quality of passion and restlessness) dominates the body and mind, we're more inclined to follow the whim of the senses rather than the light of clear discernment. This is because rajas guna clouds the faculty of intellect.
~Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian (from her book The Jewel of Abundance)

Rajas guna is one of the three qualities of nature which continuously color our environment. The other two are sattva (illuminated) and tamas (lethargy or inertia). In meditation, rajas guna leads to what we experience as busy mind. When we have times of restlessness, this indicates the effect of rajas guna. If I am feeling restless I may not make good decisions. During meditation, I do better when I recognize its effect and I usually use following the breath or mantra to calm things down. Even throughout the day when I feel that rajas is predominate and I want to calm down, I just stop and take a couple of conscious breaths. Alternately, when I feel lethargic, rajas is actually helpful to get me going. To what extent are you conscious of the effect of rajas guna on your mental state and actions, and how do you seek to use it or control it and return to balance?