I remember scoffing at the very idea of it not to long ago but recently i discovered video game soundtrack's have a very practically use. It has been a very though year for me as for as workload was concerned and i found it much easier to concentrate when i played some background music i consider soothing and video game soundtracks are just perfect for that since they rarely have lines or lyrics to distract you.
Some games tracks I found to be particular particular are.
The theme of Zeal, sands of time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsj5xjoLXtE And its no nostalgia despite the game being decades old, i only got my hands of Chrono trigger recently.
Snowmad theme, aka Homecoming jinx: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6rtBVSPjw0 and its more soothing variant forest folly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di6VFegOMfk Snowmads are just awesome.
On the other side of the mirage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pINz_a1jfs just so soothing
Dragon roost island: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXGGvsHq6iA All i can think about when hearing this is ''Vacation time!'' And that relaxes me.
Dark world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoLT24KcEIY and its remix in the form of the Lowrule theme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCJBI0BCIoc I haven't quite figured out which one i like more.
Chengdu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS55Laq5n3U thousand suns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_zEcQZ_c_o Orochi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmyanvPY3zQ Nemea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFTkDntqkKg' and Komaki nagaku https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sd0G9YYaqY and others from Koei
And lastly the theme of the best video game character of 2013, Simon blackquill: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q0BwOvHzTk I'm not sure why I find it soothing but i just do. The ace attorney soundtrack is awesome in general and i go regularly seek up all kinds of track from that series.
I remember just loooving Eggman's E.G.G.M.A.N. theme song as a kid to the point of going the gallery just to play it and i still play it on youtube sometimes for old time sake. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvERHiTfx9w
To a lesser extend that also goes for Basara's Ieyasu's theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qwqV_5p9_ Like its character that theme is just ''In it to win it''
Ryu's theme also counts even if i never played his game, heard it in warriors Orochi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jaIUlz-wNU
I also started dabbling in writing a bit, though not exactly competently. I found a music from an action packed scene helps in writing certain scenes.