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Sorry about that. I was just trying my 2 cents at staying calm while trading. The trading screen is moving numbers....agree? They hopefully move as per your trading system. So you have a stoploss and a target and everything in between is noise; or more appropriately moving numbers. All you can control is your entry and your exit (stoploss/target). Trying to control anything else is useless; agree?
All the issues (uneasy, afraid, angry, happy) arise from connecting money to the numbers. So if you disconnect that, you handle the numbers just as they are; not as money.
How do you disconnect? Meditate.... I don't know for how many months or years. Quickfix? Brainwave entrainment audio. There is one that induces mindfulness, another that clears the awareness, another to vaporize performance anxiety, and still another to keep you in the flow. Research says brainwave entrainment may not work on about 15% of humans. So you need to monitor if it is working for you. You will know from the mild changes in your behavior. That takes some trial and error.
Audio technology also exists that helps us alter our beliefs (stuff like rich people have bad habits, etc etc) because previously acquired beliefs are known to affect/destroy trading results. That's it. If there is a better way I can help with this, let me know.
@CLNymex
Ok I get what you are trying to say but I disagree with your methodology.
One one hand you suggest disconnection as a means of removing oneself from discomfort and negative emotion.
One the other, you suggest mindfulness and mediation techniques (dunno what brainwave entrainment is all about)
You are attempting to mix oil with water.
Meditation makes you aware. One can never disconnect from thought or emotion because it is what makes you, 'you'. Mind cannot disconnect from itself.
You have the same chance of detachment as a tune breaking free from the strings of a violin (read that somewhere).
If you want to be calm you have got to reach acceptance. You must look into the darkness of your soul to reveal all the stinky imperfections, judgements, arrogance, fear....all these things. Meditation reveals all this garbage, its noisy and difficult to do. Its not to quiet the mind, or disconnect, or reach nirvana or enlightenment or any of that nonsense it is purely a way to see all the noise but not react to it.
Accept it. You cant fight the narrator or the corresponding emotion its a losing battle. You can however be aware and accept. Automatically things take care of themselves, you wont have to fight emotion or any of that other dark stuff bothering you. It has collateral effect and spills over into trading.
The takeaway for me is : You can however be aware and accept.
This is just what mindfulness meditation (or training or inducement) takes you to.
My elaboration may not have been as good as an yogi's but I have seen it (what I describe), working in number of traders including me....so that was my 2 cents.
It's okay to get excited when you belt on out of the park or pissed off when it goes against you as long as you don't deviate from your strategy that has proven itself over time. I make make close to 100 trades in /ES over an entire year. Most of the time I'm calm, sipping coffee, and waiting for entry.
When I was a fairly new trader and some trades were very stressful, I learned to just go for a walk around the block. Walking has a surprisingly calming effect on the body. The added benefit is that you can't second guess your method since you can't see the screen. Listening to music is relaxing too.
Even an experienced trader can feel nervous though if the market suddenly does something totally unexpected due to a major news event. That's just a part of trading that we all have to accept and deal with in our own way.
Some things that I have found help with my performance and specifically with staying calm and focused is:
1) Nutrition - I am actively focused on making sure I get the correct nutrition each day. This makes a significant difference!
2) Breathing - at times I still need to use bellows breathing, but not nearly like I used to. Typically it has to be an unknown event, like a WWIII tweet from a bathroom stall or such. And for that there is a plan.
3) Understanding I have a time limit that I can stay sharp in trading, and being aware of oneself and disciplined enough to take a break. Taking a break, reduces the stress and can recharge you. Trading session ends, and I am done. I will look in the evening, quick homework, but not for long as I know I need to unplug and recharge
To the OP, I would say you need to figure out what your time lime is ASAP... then focus on just putting your trades on and sitting back and letting them work. When your time limit hits, quit trading.
FWIW, good for you being aware of what is happening to you during this trade. Keep asking "why" is this happening to me, until you get to the "what".
