Getting tired of daytrading and time commitment?

Discussion in 'Psychology' started by taclander, Jul 23, 2010.

  1. Anyone else burn out on daytrading? I have been doing 90% futures daytrading for quite a few years now with minimal position trading. In the summers I'm running kids here and there and fitting my trading in between, and during the school year I'm all in, except that my "homework" time is limited by kid commitments, and other issues. I'm kind of burning out. Anyone made the transition to swing/ position trading after years of daytrading? How'd it go? I see the time daytrading being used to position/swing equities, futures and options and research when I'd normally being trading. Then my evenings being a bit more free, yet still have a little time to finish research started during the day when I would have been trading.
    Man, I've hit burn out before, but I'm really hitting lows and getting to be a real pain in the ass to everyone around me. I need to make a change soon. I think I'm beyond a vacation restarting my engine. I'm making money when I have time to trade, but to me daytrading is a very intense focus and having to come and go doesn't work, and is fairly stressful. I find I can make quick trades, but I am missing the runs as I won't leave a daytrade on while I'm gone.
    For awhile I did swing trading on the mini Dow with options, but that was when I was with my mentor. What has good volume to get back into that? The YM seems like a dud to me anymore. ES, EC maybe? I could go back to equities. I have bugged Don Bright any number of times over the years about signing on, and I guess I could just take a month and study for that stupid exam.
    Any thoughts would be appreciated. Tac if you are monitoring this site feel free to pipe in.
    It's good to have anonymous sites to whine. Thanks for the space and any comments.
     
  2. I'd start with the vacation and see how you feel when you come back. I know you said you don't think it will help, but take a nice, long one. Don't bring the charts along, just forget the market exists for as long as you can.

    It's worth a shot and if it doesn't work, you still had a nice vacation.
     
  3. promagma

    promagma

    Maybe take up some kind of sports or physical exercise
     
  4. I've had vacations, but not an extended one in probably 2 decades. I took some time off to help my parents a few years ago, but even then I was still trying to watch the markets at the same time. Maybe walking away completely for a few weeks would be good, but not sure I could do it. LOL I do exercise almost everyday, alternating weights and aerobic. I have thought of getting involved in something competitvely might be an idea. Not sure what to pursue. Maybe golf, or old fart baseball.
    I have to admit maybe the markets are an addiction. I find it real hard to walk away completely on vacation. I don't think I have an addictive personality. I can smoke and not pick up a cigar or cigarrette for a year, and I can drink way too much for extended periods and not drink a drop for a year.(try to get together with buddies each year for a binge week of football, booze and smoking).
    This is really annoying, I need to make a plan.