How to control emotions in trading
Controlling your emotions in trading is the holy grail we all chase, but aiming straight for it is barking up the wrong tree. Trying to wrangle your feelings without knowing what’s behind ‘em is like scooping water outta bucket with a fork – good luck with that! What you’re gonna pick up here will give you the power to master your mind and your moves – the emotions? They’ll sort themselves out. It all gets easier once you get how your brain processes info. Dig into how emotional memories tank your trades and learn some slick NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) tricks to flip the script.
Your Brain Ain’t Trading the Market – It’s Trading Your Memory Backtest
Your head doesn’t clock the market in real-time. It’s running everything through an emotional database built from:
- That loss that punched you in the gut.
- The drawdown that kept you up all night.
- Even childhood beliefs like “money’s dirty,” “rich folks are shady,” or “what, you think cash grows on trees?”
These moments cook up hidden scripts running in the background. Classic example:
“You’re eyeballing the chart, setup’s golden… but when it’s go-time, you FREEZE. You know you should jump in, but something’s holding you back. That ain’t analysis – that’s your brain pulling up an old pain file.”
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A strong saboteur is the Scarcity Algorithm
- Symptom: You bail on winning trades way too early and trash your tradesistem.
- Feels Like: “Like I’m stealing something,” “Scared of getting burned,” “Easy money’s for suckers.”
- Root: Fear of “losing the profit” (tied to past broke-ass vibes).
- Mindset Block: “I don’t wanna go back to scraping by.”
Emotional Release Drill
Step 1 – Spot It
Find a chill spot, close your eyes, and flashback to a time you were scared of losing. Maybe right before the market opens or mid-trade when it’s going your way. Let the feeling hit, name it, feel where it grips your body, and rate it. Example: anxiety, chest, 9.
Step 2 – Dump It
Once you’ve tagged it, say: “I’m letting my subconscious dial down or zero out this X emotion (name it), turning it into pure focus and swapping it for the skills I’ve grinded and drilled.” Say it, take a deep breath, and let it out slow. As you exhale, picture that X emotion fading out. Loosen up your shoulders, hands, jaw – anywhere that’s tight.
This line’s a badass prompt for your subconscious – use it like it’s free money! In your head, replay that moment and check if the intensity’s dropped or flatlined. Still there? Run it again (no pressure to hit zero).
Mastering your emotions in trading levels up with the next moves.
Step 3 – Anchor It (NLP)
Picture something you crush with emotional swagger – kicking a soccer ball, baking a cake, flying a kite, doodling, whatever.
a) As you see it, breathe and feel your body shift. Your vibe climbs – you’re buzzing with strength, focus, and confidence.
b) At the peak of that high, pick an anchor. It’s your “on” button for this dope state. Could be tapping your chest, forehead, a mole on your arm – your call. Touch it and lock it in.
c) Fingers on the anchor, flashback to trades you nailed with ice-cold calm and skill. That juices up the anchor even more.
Bridge to the Future (Lock It In)
Your brain learns by looping it. With the anchor fired up, imagine yourself crushing it in the near future – tomorrow, next week – trading with this skill dialed in. What’s it like? Anything shift? Let your mind chew on it.
If you’re feeling more control, what’s the payoff? Seeing that win, how’s it hit you? If you’re more solid, more locked in, feel that reward system light up. What’s your drive like now to grind for emotional mastery and own your game? Then picture that mastery fully baked into you – medium and long haul – and how much you’ve stacked up by planting this seed today.
We get to pick the scripts we wire into ourselves. Our future’s built on today’s moves. The best part? With the right tools and awareness, right now we’re free to plant the dopest seeds for tomorrow. And us at Mindful Trader Lab? We’re straight-up wizards at farming this wild, rich soil of your subconscious. You’re with us, fam!
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