When I am deeply disturbed, I do jigsaw puzzle. There's something soothing about putting broken pieces together.

As I fit the kaleidoscope of colours on my kitchen table, my mind places strands of logic, rationality and emotions together to solve the 'problem' or 'crisis' I am brooding over.

I am hardly aware of my subconscious doing this. I just know after a while, even before I finish my puzzle, I feel a sense of peace and reassurance that tomorrow I will be better, stronger, happier.

Therapy isn't cheap. Friends aren't always around. And in the end, only you know what's best for you.

In this fast-paced, I-want-it-done-yesterday supersonic age, we want quick solutions. Instant gratification.

But often impatience and haste add up to the wrong answer. Before you think, calm down, unwind.

Don't drink. Don't smoke. Don't go online. Don't pace.

Pick a quiet place and choose something that reassures you about your skills. As you do that, whether it is weeding or fixing something with tools or doing puzzles, as you progress in your work, you regain confidence.

It validates your self-worth and reassures you that you haven't lost your ability to think and, more important, visualise concepts. It also takes you back to the happy and more successful times of your life and you connect with your former self.

I pick jigsaw puzzles with more than 500 pieces. I find the ones with the most breathtaking landscapes entice me the best.

I draw strength from the images of mountains, seas and trees. Because they have strength, they endure and have an inner beauty and relentless energy that uplifts the millions who gaze upon them, or those who capture them on canvas and in literature.

The ideal solution would be to visit one of these idyllic settings, but time, space, money and commitments are big hurdles to jump.

With a tired body and heavy mind, sometimes even a walk seems to be an Olympian event. Rain, snow, fog and heat do not help either.

So, I do what I can with my cup of hot tea and a colourful puzzle to nurture my mind and soul, so I can be whole alone, can function again.

It isn't often that Sonia Chopra has to resort to
jigsaw puzzles.

Illustration: Lynette Menezes

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