Hello!, i been making 25 - 30 trades per day on YM futures - my system works and i don't have a problem following my system and everything is fine, until after 2pm - i become exhausted and i am completely burned out, which often leads me to trade in a way that i don't want to - all of a sudden i start overtrading, try to save 1 or 2 ticks - i miss the entry, then i start chasing the market. Its horrifying. i think all this is caused simply because i am burned out. so i was hoping if someone can share how they avoid getting burned out? I don't know how some of you day-traders, scalpers, etc who make over 25 trades per day keep going for hours and hours the whole day, how do you stay alert and be in an optimum minset for trading? i found that taking a 40 minute break for lunch and a bit of exercise help a little. but i am still curious of how other traders deal with long hours of trading...
My own guidance is when I am not of "properly-aware" trading mindset, I will shut things down and go do something else....or just WATCH the action but not trade the rest of the day. Particularly if I'm green for the day, I won't keep trading just because the market is still open --- I have no problem taking time off, or not trading period, just because I'm not all "there." And I won't force a trade, either. Sometimes I've had rough nights or been out too late and woken up feeling like crap. Will I trade? No. I'll check the markets, watch the action and news, but unless there's something that REALLY REALLY strikes my fancy, I won't trade when I'm not of proper mental state.
wow, that takes a lot of patience and discipline to just walk away. i don't know if i can train myself to do that, i usually average about 25 to 40% of my daily points from 2 - 4:15 pm, and this exhaustion happens everyday. so leaving is not really an option. i would just like to adapt to these conditions or find a way to have a clear mind.