New Delhi, March 5 -- As a therapist I'm often asked about activities and experiences that are soothing when one is dealing with big feelings and unpleasant emotions, or when one is not ready to share what they are feeling with others. Speaking to loved ones or a mental health professional is how some people may find calmness and perspective-at the same time it's only one of the many ways.

Very early in life, we often unconsciously find spaces and activities that provide us calm. As we grow older, we become more aware of this and begin to mindfully engage in those activities and make them a part of our life. When I was a child, my father was often quite ill, and I always found hospitals to be unsafe spaces. Though my dad would come back ...