Achieve Instant Relaxation—Five Minutes, Tops

Let me paint you a familiar scenario: After oversleeping (snooze is the enemy!), you wake up to your boss chewing you out over the phone for being late. On your way out, you hit your shin on the door and remember that you forgot something when you’re five miles away from the house. Finally, after some seriously unsafe driving, you’re at work, you’re behind on deadlines, and you’re so harassed, you can’t even leave your desk to pee.

Your mind is even more useless than a white girl who can’t even. Rather than power through this self-defeating situation, just take a moment to chill the eff out.

How, you say? Just take five minutes, and a couple deep breaths with these products:

Aveda Body Balancing Mist

Deeply entrenched in the principles of Ayurveda, an ancient Indian practice that promotes wellness and balance, Aveda’s seven Body Balancing Mists (P2,100/100 ml) serve a particular purpose, depending on your misaligned chakras. One spray at the top of your head, and an eerie calm will envelope your frazzled senses. A few seconds of this trance-like state definitely lends itself well to productivity.

To find out which of your chakras are imbalanced, head to www.misterchakra.com, and all will be revealed.

Aveda. 1/F Greenbelt 5, Legaspi Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City. Also available at SM Makati. For more information, visit their website.

Murad Youth Builder Bodycare Rejuvenating AHA Hand Cream

Formulated with soothing bergamot, Murad’s Rejuvenating AHA Hand Cream’s (P1,250/75 ml) clean and refreshingly sweet and spicy notes help relieve stress and ease tension. For total relaxation, take five minutes to massage the cream carefully into your hands. Once absorbed completely, cup your hands over your nose, close your eyes, and inhale deeply.

The hand cream is also formulated with glycolic acid for a more evened skin tone, and Silver Ear mushroom to combat visible signs of aging.

Murad. Available at Rustan’s Department Store in Glorietta, Shangri-La Plaza, and Alabang Town Center. For more information, visit their website.

Diptyque Baies Candle

When all else fails, light a candle and say a prayer for your panicky soul—to the gods of Diptyque, that is. Creating a sensory experience in the office is a tricky thing, given your close proximity to your co-workers, so it’s best to choose a classic scent that won’t offend any noses. Diptyque’s inimitable and iconic Baies Candle (P3,250/190 g) evokes the fresh scent of roses, sweetened with blackcurrant leaves.

At best, lighting this up will lighten your spirits—and everyone else’s near you. Isn’t this indulgence really for the common good, then?

Diptyque. Available at Rustan’s Department Store in Glorietta 4, Shangri-La Plaza, and Alabang Town Center. For more information, visit their website.

Art by Dorothy Guya