Nevermind The Distraction - Setup and How to Play (Stage One)

About Nevermind The Distraction, from BoardGameGeek:

Breathe. Become The Watcher and observe your restless mind to help decide the fate of its wandering thoughts. Maintain your focus and try not to stay too distracted! Nevermind The Distraction is a 10-15 minute abstract solitaire card game based on the principles of mindful meditation. During a game (meditation) session The Mind will cause thoughts to surface, then try to intensify them until they become distracting-causing time to be wasted. The player is tasked with reducing the intensity of these thoughts as much as possible, thus keeping the mind reined in and the consciousness at peace. Each round starts with the Mind Phase, in which a card is drawn to determine which thought in the consciousness The Mind will attempt to intensify that round. In the Watcher Phase, players work to counteract the chaos caused by The Mind-quieting these thoughts until they are finally released. The Watcher's goal is to release as many thoughts as possible before the timer deck runs out. The resulting Tug of War will feel familiar to anyone who has ever tried to meditate! The objective is to get as many thoughts as possible to their lowest intensity (Released) before the timer deck runs out. A perfect win lets you advance to the next stage of complexity, for a game that grows with you! Nevermind The Distraction is designed to introduce and promote meditation concepts and techniques in a fun, low-pressure way. The game's short turns and simple actions cultivate the conditions for a flow state, not unlike what occurs during a meditation. The blend of teaching real-world techniques within a Zen-like flow state is intended to help foster the development of a subconscious skill set for use inside your head during an actual meditation session. Calm your mind and learn valuable mental health skills while you play! -description from the publisher