In the first satsangha on the Bhagavad Gita Acharya Shunya spoke about the difference between the mind (manas) and intellect (buddhi). She likened the mind to a bowl of noodles - a vortex and tangle of emotions, likes, dislikes, thoughts and stories preoccupied with the past or the future.
On the other hand, the intellect is the rational faculty - a pathway through the vortex which as Shunya ji told us has to be awakened, strengthened and fortified. I'm witnessing how awakening the intellect is an ongoing conscious practice. When something happens - an interchange with another person a concern about an upcoming event a review of something that's already happened my mind can jump in quickly to interpret, conclude and create more story. The other signs of my noodle mind moving is I become uneasy or emotional or jittery or have difficulty staying on task.
Treating any one of these as a road sign to Go slow or Stop! is the most efficient way of waking up the intellect. I pause. I breathe. I apply discrimination (viveka): what is eternal what is transient? At this point with the intellect awakened I am in a position to choose what to do next rather than be tossed around with the noodles.