[hocus pocus]

Animals are a lot smarter than we realize, and I strongly believe that they sense things. If your cat knows that you're pretty stressed out, he might be trying to help in his own way. I don't think locking him up in another room for a while is wrong, as long as he has some food and water in there. We do that sometimes because my cat is quite a moocher. Does he have any toys around the house? If not, maybe you could invest in a few toys and a small scratching post to keep him occupied. If you're a person who is able to work while listening to music, you can try that, too!