How to do diffuse it? Too many things in trading will not go right, how do you not get pissed off which leads to inevitable stupidity?
Greetings A, One technique which I found particularly useful is what I call my "Change of Focus". Let me explain how this is done: Lets say that I'm having a particularly rough day wherein not too many things are going my way. I'm making a few choice mistakes that are now beginning to color my overall day, and I'm now starting to "think" more than "react" to the price action on my screen. I have learned how to turn my lemons into lemonade. The Procedure: I pretend that I'm "observing myself", outside of myself, as a 2nd party, as I go through these "trials", documenting what "he" (ie me) is doing along the way. I take a "Sgt. Joe Friday" approach to recording, and then taking copious notes of what "this guy" is doing. In other words, ......."Just the facts Ma'am". Then at the end of the day, I have a nice clear written record of what this "guy" did during the day. This record is now free from emotional inputs because the "Sgt. Joe Friday" approach doesn't allow emotional responses. I find this process helps to keep me on an even keel during these trials. Now I have something concrete that I can begin to work on, or seek help for after hours. This makes the whole process as one of growth and learning, and I don't feel like I've "wasted" my "time and my money". I've got something real and tangible to show for the day's efforts. Its been working for me for many years,............hope this helps. KDASFTG
Greetings S, Over the course of time, "technical wise", my normal day is pretty much at stasis. However, I still record the "Summary" of the days events in my Trading Journal religiously at COB. But unless some outside event drives me outside my "comfort zone" during the day, the "Sgt" and I don't get to "interview" much anymore. Internally, I have come to a level of confidence and trust with KDASFTG and his judgement, and I don't get to ride "emotional rollercoasters" that much, but for damn sure it wasn't always the case. Anyway, I always know the Sgt. is there if I need him. KDASFTG
What caused you to get pissed off? Missing a good trade? Stopping out? Stopping out repeatedly? Holding a crappy position after ignoring a stop and not knowing where to exit? You can channel your anger to improve your trading... I use my emotions to assist my trade decisions. Basically you are right to want to keep anger away, but it is inevitable that you will get angry at times when money is on the line. The key is to understand what information you are receiving when you get angry. What is this telling you about yourself, and how other traders are likely to be feeling right now? So it can be useful too. You should be asking, "Why am I getting angry?" Sometimes it may just be because you are hungry or sexually frustrated!
Anger = great toppic. There are so many things to be angry about in trading, besides trading itself......... If you feel anger in the trading proccess than you should stop with real money trading, then you are not ready yet. Then you first must become better and better, much better, so that you really know what will happen, what could happen, what you have to do in every fucking szenario. Price not always moves in perfect flows from entry to exit....but most of the time..... Train your thoughts, before trading, while trading and after trading and while every other timepoint in your life. You must imagine all your trades "visual" in your mind and imagine every situation, and imagine your rules - what you have to do how, and remember why you choose the rules this way, what were the reasons for this or that. ---You must stand over all with your head.--- or otherwise every trade which dosnt move 100% perfect will stress you to dead, and you will become the next candidate for a hearth attack. Beside trading itsself, there are many stressing things. 1. = trading is a lonely business (well for me it is). 2. = it needs a lot of time to learn it and after you ve become a pro, it still needs a lot of time to keep up your mind on 100% to be ready for the battle everytime you go in the markets and risk your fucking holy money. 3. There are always people aroung who think you are a kind of a criminal, bcuz you havent any university degree and you make so much money - and they cant do it, because they know a fuck about the markets. 4. Family members never accept your choosing proffession and the passion you have for your own trading. That sucks hardcore. But i think its all psychological. Just drink yourself to nirvana or take drugs and you can forget all that fucking sorrows and keep on making money so long you want.
Great question. Sometimes thru anger, I find solutions, what was it I got angry about, did the cable internet go down? Solution was have back up DSL with another brokerage, if this went down too, which has happened, I have satelite internet with another brokerage always hooked up. Power went out due to weather, generator backup with sixteen batteries. Course if I hit the wrong button, very stupid move on my part, and we have all done something like that. Forget to cancel stops, check all windows after trades. Comes down to system not performing as usual, that comes down from backtesting to let me know what I can expect as far as daily drawdown. But if not normal drawdown occurs cause of the method or me, I may walk away for that session and trade a later session. I know in my youth, if I got angry enough, if I hanged around, I would do revenge trading, and of course, that always made things worse. So now I go for a walk, go to gun range, visit the Rescue Mission, go to the zoo, go anywhere other than my office.
Practise breathing and yoga in between trades i.e almost every hour.Try it. Yoga,meditation,breathing exercises and keep a pet in the trading room. http://www.yogatic.com/yoga-video/yoga-sequence-for-anxiety/ http://www.yogatic.com/yoga-video/yoga-for-headache/ http://www.yogatic.com/yoga-video/intense-side-stretch-for-stress/ http://www.yogatic.com/yoga-video/fish-shoulder-pose/ http://www.pe2000.com/breathe.htm http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Relaxation-Exercises.htm
Anger is an emotion often occupying the mental state of white trash and home schooled people. To diffuse anger, rationalize and quicky get out of the situation that caused the anger. It works for me. Or, you might want to play the piano like Billy Joel. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WLLYa5LdUeE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>