Avoiding Frustration
How well have you been doing in the markets these days? There have been many opportunities in the past few weeks, but an abundance of market opportunities don't always guarantee success. Setbacks are the rule rather than the exception when it comes to trading. Discovering reliable trading strategies is a challenge, and frequently, a promising strategy produces a series of losses, especially under new market conditions. Losses and other setbacks can be frustrating and anxiety provoking. If you are expecting to win because the markets have been showing new highs, you can feel especially frustrated when you don't meet your expectations. As much as you don't want to be fazed by these setbacks, it can be difficult. When you face setback after setback, it can be hard to pick yourself up. It's tempting to give into the frustration and feel beaten by the pressure. The only way to make it, however, is to pick yourself up and
keep trading the markets with a fighting spirit.
In order to keep up a fighting spirit, it is vital to have high frustration tolerance: No matter how many setbacks you face, you must keep going. Maintaining a fighting spirit is largely a matter of having the proper mindset. People with low frustration tolerance tend to believe that they should never experience a setback and that if they experience a setback, it is impossible to overcome it. But this mindset will get you stuck rather than moving ahead. It is essential to constantly remind yourself that setbacks are a natural part of life. Indeed, if you are trying to succeed at trading, you should expect setbacks. Instead of dreaded events, challenges and setbacks can be viewed as part of the excitement and stimulation of living. When you face a setback while trading, you should view it as an opportunity to learn and develop your trading skills rather than a discouraging impediment. Merely changing your viewpoint regarding potentially frustrating events can significantly cha nge your ability to tolerate them. If you expect them and accept them as natural rather than a disaster, you'll feel less frustrated. And instead of passively feeling paralyzed by them, you'll try to creatively think of ways you can use the setbacks as a new starting point than can lead to a higher level of trading skills. It is useful to view setbacks as ways for you to gain more experiences with the markets and hone your trading skills.
A proper attitude is one of the best ways to prevent feelings of frustration, but it is also important to build up physiological defenses. Every time you face a setback, it can take a great deal of energy to cope with it. Each setback uses up physical and mental energy, and if you are not careful, a series of setbacks can wear you out. By getting plenty of rest, and especially sound night's sleep, we can cope with frustration more easily. Regular exercise and proper nutrition can help your body create a natural defense against frustration. It is also important to set realistic expectations. You will feel especially frustrated when you set unrealistic expectations and fail to meet them. By realizing that no matter how optimal the market conditions, profits are never guaranteed, you'll feel more at ease when you encounter setbacks. You won't be caught off guard, and you will be ready to deal with them. It may be discouraging at times to continually face setbacks, but it is nece ssary to realize that you have the freedom to decide how you will feel when beaten down. You can choose to feel frustrated or you can view setbacks as challenges and optimistically be ready to think of exciting, new ways of overcoming them. The more you can acknowledge that setbacks are a necessary part of trading, the more easily you'll cope with them, and be able to use them as stepping stones to higher levels of trading success.
