I did suggest that the author should take a walk to clear his mind, and not attempt to zen out at a social gathering. I also suggested that the author shouldn't go to social gatherings that he doesn't want to be at.
Learning to say no without anxiety is a super power.
Also, social events and casual conversation is a great way to be social and engage in conversation while excising rubber duck debugging. So long as you make it entertaining for the other party, it's fun... explaining how stuff works for people who are curious is usually fun for both parties.
It's different strokes for different folks for sure, but don't limit your stroke options... and try not to get shampoo in your keyboard.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/22/chewing.gum.benefits/in...
1. People who get migraines are probably chewing too much gum (that is, chewing too much in general.)
2. There's a sharp increase in dementia when people lose their teeth, and this is likely because they aren't chewing enough.
Neither of these were particularly strong studies (the first of the two only had a sample-size of 30, if I recall) but they do support one-another on a general hypothesis: chewing plays a large and necessary part in oxygenating your brain.
Going to the social gathering wasn't the problem. The problem was him excusing himself from that social gathering.
In fact, going to the social gathering was the solution. He is an extrovert, who had been trying to solve a problem alone for two weeks. Being an extrovert, going to a place where there is a lot of people is gonna do a lot more than going for a walk alone.