(Article first appeared in the Spring 2006 Wild Mountain Yoga Center Newsletter.)

Why do you cleanse? Most likely to rid your body of toxins. Toxins get in the way of optimal health. Heavy metal and food toxins are the most obvious culprit–not so obvious are the toxins of stress.

Some people don’t recognize symptoms of stress. They don’t understand that poor sleep, irritability, low energy, increasing apathy in their interests, and feelings of anxiousness can be caused by stress-induced chemical imbalances in the brain. Yes, stress creates toxins and you can cleanse these too.

How often have you thought, “Too much to do, too little time”? Overloading our plates with too many responsibilities, given our available time, is a very real cause of stress.

Somewhere between too much and too little is the path that’s just right for you. Here are 3 tools to help you create that path. They may take dedication and practice to become a natural part of your life, but they are well worth it!

Tool #1: Practice a daily check-in.

Give yourself a calm, quiet time during which the voice of your intuition is given the floor. With your monkey-chatter ego taking a break, this is a perfect opportunity to engage in dialogue with your intuition in order to plan your schedule. I often use a simple Q&A format. Some specific examples of questions are listed under the following tools.

Tool #2: Allow yourself to say “No”.

When asked to take on a responsibility, get the parameters of the project (job/role/event/whatever) and a night to sleep on it. During your daily check-in time, ask, “Is this responsibility in line with my priorities? Is the opportunity in the best interest of all concerned?”

Tool #3: Create a realistic ToDo list.

It is amazing how much power our ToDo list can have over our sense of accomplishment. Common: attempting 8 hours worth of ToDos in a 4-hour period. During check-in time, ask questions along the lines of, “Considering my priorities, what are the best items for me to do today?” Allow the list to be smaller than you think you can complete; be compassionate with yourself. Be aware of allowing time for eating, taking quiet time, correspondence, and spending some time with loved ones.

These three tools help me to cleanse my time on a regular basis. They help me to lead a more calm, mindful day that is in line with my priorities. They could help you to do the same.

Being realistic about how you spend your time inevitably shifts the focus to quality (not quantity!) And the more good you have in your life, the less toxins you’ll need to cleanse later.

Through her business Project Simplify, Shawn Tuttle co-creates customized solutions to the admin and operating challenges of small businesses and the self-employed.

For more info visit www.projectsimplify.com.