For every action, there is a reaction
Whenever I’m stressed and need to refocus, I start a game of FreeCell. The repetitive play and focus on strategizing the next card placement calms my brain and muffles the extraneous mind chatter.
I continue to play game-after-game, replaying the same game if I lose, until I reach the point where my head is clear, and I can start working out a problem while also continuing to play. The game soon becomes secondary to the thought process, and the emphasis changes from FreeCell/stress-reliever to problem-solver/FreeCell.
Replay
Relax
Refocus
Reach — the Zen of FreeCell
We now return to our regular programming . . .