Being emotionless in trading is a topic that comes up a lot, and plenty of traders actually support it. They want to remove anger when a trade goes against them, and even happiness or excitement when it goes their way.
I disagree. Removing emotions completely goes against human nature. It is like swimming against the tide, so it is unsustainable and there is no benefit in it.
Key takeaways
Emotions exist for a reason, and trying to eliminate them entirely works against human nature and will not last.
Anything you want to sustain, like a habit or managing emotions, has to be simplified, at least in the beginning.
Feel the anger or excitement, that is normal, but do not let it dictate your next trade.
You do not have to do anything, you only have to notice the emotion, and once you are aware of it, it is in your control.
A win can give you overconfidence, so do not let it push you to risk more on the next trade.
Meditation helps, but even just reminding yourself to be aware of how you feel is enough.
Why removing emotions does not work
Some traders want a fully robotic approach. There is even a guy on Instagram who films his facial expressions during a trade, removing all of them to show he is trading without emotion. It looks very strange.
It is strange because it does not work and because it goes against human nature. Humans are meant to have emotions, and trying to eliminate them completely is a very difficult task.
Anything that is against nature is not going to work well. There is a reason emotions exist. They can be useful to your advantage, so you should not aim to remove them.
“There’s no benefit in removing your emotions in trading, or any other endeavor. Anything against nature won’t work well.”
Keep it simple, the way you build a habit
Whether it is managing emotions or building a habit, it has to be easy, at least in the beginning. It has to be simplified.
Say you want a gym habit but you are not a morning person. If you schedule your session in the morning, you probably will not build it because it is too difficult. Move it to the afternoon and it becomes easier.
It is never a good idea to make things very difficult for yourself. People who do things regularly find a way to make it easy, either physically or just in how they see it.
Awareness puts you back in control
When a trade goes against you and you are angry, that is completely normal and part of human nature. But you have to control it and not let it dictate your next trade.
You do not have to do anything about the emotion. You just have to be aware of it. Once you are aware, its negative impact is neutralized and it is in your control.
It is like driving and wanting to take a right turn. You look right, see a car coming, and now that you are aware you slow down, let it pass and then turn. If you are not aware of it, that is when it has a disastrous impact.
Do not let a win go to your head
Excitement when you win a trade is amazing. Why would you not want to be excited? The only thing you have to do is not let that excitement dictate your next move.
That excitement can give you a bit of overconfidence, so you risk more on the next trade because you won the last one. Then that trade loses and you give back everything you gained.
The excitement itself is fine. You just have to control it. When you take a loss and feel sad or angry, that is normal too, but you flip the game and take control instead of letting it control you.
With your emotions in check, compare prop firms on Propvator and find one with fair conditions to trade with.