We have to r-e-l-a-x.
For some people, it’s easy to relax. When harassed at work, a friend takes deep breaths and in a few minutes she’s relaxed. A soul mate is a firm believer in the adage: "When the going gets stressful, the stressed go shopping." I know someone who unwinds in a spa, her oasis in the city.
Me? I go to church and spend time in prayer. I believe that taking time out with God is the best stress reliever in the world.
This week, I asked the following people to stop whatever they’re doing, take a breath and answer the question: What do you do to relax?
Audrey Tan, VJ: I go to the parlor where I can get a relaxing massage or a revitalizing hair treatment.
Edi Tekeli, owner, Mango: I cruise around in my Harley Davidson ... usually in Tagaytay.
Lisa Gokongwei, publisher, Summit Publishing Co., Inc.: I go to the bookstores, so I can monitor if my magazines are selling.
Rikki Dee, restaurateur-owner of Kitchen, Dish, Mangan and Krocodile Grillery: After a hectic week, I look forward to spending time with my wife, bonding with the kids and feasting on the best foods around, before I move on to another hectic week. We enjoy the home-cooking of my wife or my mom. We try new restaurants in town, and we go on food-tasting trips in our own establishments. But if it’s a long weekend, I sneak a trip and visit my eldest son who’s studying overseas.
Bettina Aboitiz, social secretary, Office of the President: I stay home, have a massage and watch a sitcom. Laughter, a stress-buster, is still the best medicine for any hectic week. Although going away for the weekend works just fine. It’s a toss up.
Senator Francis Pangilinan: I spend time at home joking, laughing, playing and sharing funny stories with my wife and two kids!
Leica Carpo, PR manager, L’Oreal Phils.: I stay in bed with a good book or I play golf or I shop – the universal response!
Bukidnon Congressman Miguel Zubiri: I watch a movie. If I go home to Bukidnon it’s still work but when I immerse myself in a movie, I can detach myself from my problems.