There was a time when I woke up in the middle of the night to check BTC. My wife thought I was having an affair. In reality, my lover was green ➖ it was a screen with a chart. Until I realized one thing: if trading steals your peace ➖ you are doing something wrong.
STEP 1 ADMIT ➖ YOU DO NOT CONTROL THE MARKET
You only control three things:
1. At what point do you enter
2. How much are you risking
3. At what point do you exit
That's it. The price will go up or down ➖ that's no longer your concern. Accept it.
STEP 2 CREATE A NIGHT RITUAL BEFORE SLEEP
My ritual takes 5 minutes
Checking if stop-losses are set on all open positions
I close all trading tabs
I turn on Do Not Disturb mode on my phone
I forget about the market until morning
If you have no open positions ➖ this ritual is even shorter.
STEP 3 PLAYING WHAT IS THE WORST❓
Before each trade, I ask myself
What is the worst that can happen if the price goes against me❓
I will lose 1% of the deposit❓ ➖ This is the plan.
I will lose 10%❓ ➖ I'm an idiot for not setting a stop.
I will lose everything❓ ➖ I'm gambling, not trading.
Knowing the worst-case scenario takes away fear's power.
STEP 4 STOP TRADING FOR LIFE
If you are trading money you are not ready to lose
You will be afraid
You will close profitable trades early
You will hold on to losing ones
You won't sleep
Trade only what you can afford to lose without a catastrophe.
Which of these night trading habits do you have❓
1. I WILL CHECK ONCE MORE ➖ I open the exchange app before bed and first thing in the morning.
2. WHAT IF IT BREAKS THROUGH❓ ➖ I set an alarm in the middle of the night to check an important level.
3. I'M JUST CURIOUS ➖ I don't trade, but I read news/analytics until 2 AM.
4. I HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL ➖ I sleep peacefully, my stops work for me.
5. I DON'T SLEEP AT ALL ➖ Trading has replaced my sleep (that's a warning sign❗).
Healthy trading is like healthy relationships: if you constantly check your partner's phone, are jealous, and can't sleep at night ➖ those relationships are toxic. The market should not be your tyrant. It should be a tool that works by your rules while you live your life. The most profitable trades often happen not when you are staring at the chart, but when you are walking, socializing with loved ones, or just sleeping. Trust your system. If you can't trust ➖ then you don't have a system. And that's the first thing to fix.
👍 Like if you want trading to bring money, not insomnia. And honestly write in the comments ➖ what number from the survey you identified with❓ Let's support each other in getting rid of toxic habits❗❗❗
