Trading Psychology

The team at High Chart Patterns, which offers stock newsletters, wrote in to contribute some key tips on trading.

"1. When you feel most frustrated at missing moves, you are most vulnerable to losing money and trading in a self-destructive manner  (hereon called "trading on tilt" to quote Charles Kirk from the Kirk Report).    Do not let it play with your head.  Every trade is fresh. 

2.  Do not overthink or get spooked – stay as close to neutral as possible.  Don’t predecide anything, just look for your conditions to be met. Calmness is everything in this profession – in the technical setup system itself and in your own emotions.

3. Remember many  big losses have come after innocent small initial losses, and then from attempts to make up that loss and frustration – that is when one forces trades –  lousy setups with no volume, chasing spikes or even worse, following other people’s trades. 

4. If you get stopped out and are feeling frustrated then market most likely is in a no win mode – step aside and start fresh next day. Emotion is key.  There are some days where it is very difficult to make money.  
 
5. Remind yourself how difficult it is to make money and how incredibly easy it is to lose money.  There has to be a reason for every trade.
  
6.  Have Vision –  many times stocks sit there for HOURS ABOVE the entry point–  remain in the trade as long as the breakout point is held and then hold for the angle change (as buyers pile in) into real profits.  

7.  Be on your toes with opens in which you miss several quick trades. Do not go tilt. Many tilt days come from opens that one has missed.  Just regroup and try again.  If stocks are going up or down in a hyberpolic fashion, there is  high chance of reversal.  If the move indeed is for real then there will be plenty of opportunities later in the day.  Remember that. Just wait for the pitch.

8. On a deeper note — be at peace with yourself.  If you feel like you do not deserve to do well, then most likely you will not do well.   Do good, treat your body well, work hard, and everything else will fall into place."