Fernando Chui Sai-on, Macau's fourth-highest government official, told more than 400 youths how he dealt with stress.
'I go to the supermarket and buy something I like to eat,' said Mr Chui, Macau's Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, last week.
'Many friends see me at the supermarket on Sundays.'
Mr Chui oversees tourism, education, health care and cultural development in the former Portuguese enclave. Usually he appears tense at ceremonies or legislative assembly sessions, fending off questions from reporters and lawmakers.
In a two-hour discussion last Thursday titled 'Heart to Heart Talk', organised by the Macau New Chinese Youth Association, Mr Chui answered 35 questions from secondary school and university students, as well as recent graduates.
Mr Chui maintained his poise, and although he did his best to avoid negative questions, he gave some useful advice to his young audience.