Sometimes you just want something in an MMO that feels like chopping wood. It’s productive, it’s engaging enough that you don’t dislike it, and it can last as long as you need it to. For me, that’s dressing up my characters. I can spend hours just coming up with outfits, trying them out, finding pieces I need but don’t have, figuring out how to get them… it’s a lengthy process, in other words, and it always feels relaxing and productive as soon as I get over the initial hump of necessary effort.
It’s hardly alone, of course; I also find it nice and restful to, say, work on gathering stuff in Final Fantasy XIV or just go street-sweeping in City of Heroes. Some people find similar peace in puttering along in World of Warcraft leveling quests, and sometimes I can hit that too. The point is that there are plenty of fun and relaxing activities, like a familiar and welcome blanket from your youth. So which MMO activities are like a security blanket for you? The stuff that makes you feel warm and relaxed as you just eat up time, after a fashion?