How To Stay Cool On The Job

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Think you're stressed? Try a day in the life of Rich Gelfond, co-chief executive of IMAX, the large-format film company.

Take Nov. 5, for instance. After his usual 6 a.m. stint at the gym, Gelfond joined his board of directors and audit committee for a two-hour meeting. From there, he headed to a three-hour meeting to finalize third-quarter financials to be announced the next day. In the afternoon, he wrote a script for the conference call and practiced fielding tough questions with his public relations team, all while battle-planning with film executives preparing to launch Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa in 35 newly outfitted digital-projection Regal theaters--IMAX's (nasdaq: IMAX - news - people ) biggest opening to date.

That's pressure. But you don't need to be a top executive like Gelfond to feel stressed out on the job. The American Institute of Stress estimates that stress costs U.S. corporations $300 billion annually in health care costs, turnover and absenteeism.

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How to cope? We spoke with psychologists and sports stars to find some helpful tactics--no heavy pharmaceuticals allowed. In calmer moments, much of this might seem like common sense. But if you think you've heard it all before, ask yourself: How often do you actually follow the advice?

In the short term, coping with stress is about finding release--or at least some semblance of it. When Gelfond is at his busiest--bouncing between meetings, grappling with the latest technology and dealing with investors--he makes sure he gets an hour in the gym before he starts his day. "Not only do [my workouts] help me to relieve existing stress, they increase my ability to deal with problems that arise throughout the day," he says.