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john Tucker's avatar

right now my emotions are up in the "triggered zone". Pissed off at the wife. unfortunately, so is the market. Thus sitting still could be a dreadful mistake. This is where trading gets really, really hard because I have a history of shooting myself in the foot when I feel this way. Only thing going for me is a desire for self-preservation......

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Sara's avatar

What's the perspective you hold that's causing these emotions?

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Wilfred Lim, CFA's avatar

https://youtu.be/4a1omxlM6f4?si=ePrBJyQl_v1JtwSH

Check out this tilt cycle concept that works similarly to your emotional thermometer!

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Sara's avatar

The tilt cycle is, as he says - brilliant! Loved that part. The tilt prevention plan, got some steps I’m not a fan of like the SL one. Thank you for sharing this valuable resource! Appreciate it

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Wilfred Lim, CFA's avatar

You're welcome! This definitely helped especially with the recent drawdown in markets. Which part of the SL step are you not a fan of? Care to elaborate?

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Sara's avatar

Yes - closing a trade before it hits stop-loss. I'm a fan of letting it hit the stop, not closing the trade before price gets close to it.

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Wilfred Lim, CFA's avatar

I would modify that and say close a trade if it was a wrong entry &/or entry based on impulse.

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Spettro's avatar

The Pattern Breaker Worksheet has been especially useful in helping me spotting my line, huge thanks for that.

I can easily go from 3 (triggered) to 5 (out of control) in an instant if I don't intervene right away.

The mammalian response technique I learned from DBT (emotion regulation therapy) is the best solution to get me out of triggered mode. I dunk and hold my entire face in a bowl of ice water, repeatedly. The more discomfort the better.

I keep a cooler with ice and a bowl of water next to my trading desk to make the intervention easier and faster. Leaving the office to intervene is usually best, so I escape to the terrace and bypass my wife and son.

The key to success for me is using the ice at level 3. When I'm at level 4 it's usually too late to bring me back down to 1 or 2.

Also, I've been using tapping when I'm at level 2 (bothered) to get me back to level 1, and it has been very effective.

Thx so much for this Emotional Temperature Scale worksheet. Very useful!!

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Dec 19
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Sara's avatar

Was that $ amount the size of your stop-loss or was it an unexpected loss?

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