Advice on regaining trading confidence

Discussion in 'Psychology' started by Bray0817, Aug 6, 2014.

  1. AnnaG

    AnnaG

    A trading strategy which involves emotions, yes. A trading strategy which does not involve emotions, no. It depends on how human you are. If your trading strategy means you have to think, or more specifically, decide, then it will generate emotions. If other emotional factors are going on in your life, whilst operating such an emotional trading system then, yes, I agree, such a situation is not a great mix and one will drag down the other whichever way around you look at it. Strategy and emotions are connected, as is everything.
     
    #21     Aug 21, 2014
  2. wrbtrader

    wrbtrader

    Its natural that most traders can not disconnect themselves from trading. Thus, something that changes in our personal life will not have an impact on their trading...most traders are not able to do this.

    Yet, I don't think we need to have the ability to disconnect from life while trading and I don't even think such is possible. In contrast, we need to learn how to "manage" those emotions while trading just as someone else needs to be able to manage their emotions at a different job (e.g. store clerk, banker, police, professional athlete, parents, teacher and so on).

    If we can't manage our emotions while trying to do our job...we will do our job poorly.
     
    #22     Aug 21, 2014
  3. AnnaG

    AnnaG

    By managing emotions do you mean suppressing them, or understanding why they arise in the first place?
     
    #23     Aug 21, 2014
  4. wrbtrader

    wrbtrader

    Meaning as learning what's causing them and then "trying" to resolve them so that they have minimum impact on the trading environment. Some emotions can't be resolved overnight and others never resolved. Everybody is different.

    For example involving my friend in the prior reply example...some folks can get over a divorce or separation in months...others in a few years while others will never get over such...allowing it to impact their career or other relationships. My buddy spent most of his trading days extremely angry during that first year of divorce and burning through his trading capital. One day he takes a walk to clear his head...soon he starts taking walks every day after a few tough trades...months after that he's doing Yoga class at lunch...learning how to be relax and in control of his emotions again. Thus, not trying to suppress them but more like opening the boiling pot to let some steam off and then taking the pot off the burner so that it won't boil over.

    Therefore, emotions will always be there in our trading and when things start to heat up again (they will)...we just need to acknowledge them, understand what's causing them and then learn how to manage them.

    I use to play sports at a top level when I was young. I learned very quickly what can happen when I lose focus because I'm not able to manage my emotions. Also, I learned that when I manage my emotions...I can use it to my advantage instead of letting them become a disadvantage...learning that was an eye opener or that light bulb moment in ones life.

    P.S. I had a sports psychologist when I was young. That may explain my views about "managing emotions".
     
    #24     Aug 21, 2014
  5. ammo

    ammo

    i think its the posssible new froup he's in there is likely an alpha dog some minions and then him the new guy,working alone there are no distractions, majority of traders as a rule are not too savvy, more like a gym playing b ball or field playing football, they would also sense a new guy as competition,want to check him out, accept or wait awhile and make him/her stew,just have to ignore the best you can , be happy with who you are, spend a little time thinking about your best do's in your lifetime if you have to, and give all the dogs a chance to sniff each other out
     
    #25     Aug 21, 2014

  6. A successful group of traders came upon a down and out trader named Bray0817 about to jump from a bridge and yelled, "Wait, Fellow! Please don't do that !!!"
    Trader Bray0817 said, "Why not ?" and proceeded to expound on his views on his rookie mistakes, losing streak, slump, doubting himself, the shaky economy, declining family life and politics etc.
    Shortly thereafter, they all jumped.
     
    #26     Aug 23, 2014
  7. I have to agree with you. Over the last few months, my physiological state has eroded. I doubled down on my hydro morphine, then I added a half dose two hours into the six hour span of a dose. I have a degenerative OA and only surgeries will fix stuff. As a bridge to the beginning of the surgery series, I have been shifted over to a patch that feeds me morphine stuff 24/7 with a new patch at a new location weekly.

    My rate of "processing" anticipatory market degrees of freedom has shifted from 16% of my time to over 45%. This means double checking days are over for the next 9 months or so. I notice I pay better attention since I am now more physiologically challenged. I am allowed to dull pain with analgesic salves that only last a few hours.

    My trading is at a doubling level of taking 1 to 3 days per double and I sweep weekly to keep same capital in maket.

    Bray may want to quit the shop and go back to unleveraged capital at home. CW trading engenders fear, anxiety, and anger due to lack of knowledge and skills. When a person usues a scientific complete system, then the support, comfort and confidence come from complete knowledge and skills to take the full market offer.
     
    #27     Aug 24, 2014