During our monthly trader reviews this week one best practice repeated 3xs as helpful to traders.  Get up and take a walk when you are angry.

I remember when I first started trading, watching and hearing traders bang and cuss as if at a NY Rangers game.  I remember thinking that is so unprofessional.  And then I started trading (insert laugh track).

We have evolved on prop trading desks from hockey game banter but emotion still circles the seats of elite firm traders.  This is not  Shangri-La.  Traders are not the Dalai Lama.  And I am sure some traders would like to see his reaction after pissing away 30k on a trade.

So we deal with real emotions of real traders taking real losses in real-time.  And a best practice working this month is to get up and take a walk for 10-15 minutes when you sense anger.  And then come back in a calmer state to make better trading decisions.

One trader visualized getting up from his seat when he felt tilt coming.  He visualized feeling those feelings, he saw himself lifting his body from his seat and taking a few laps around the block in our Midtown East locale.  I failed to ask where this trader unearthed this idea, though I suspect it is from Dr. Steenbarger’s work.  For his trading he recognized a pattern when he started to boil over.  Usually worse trading followed and losses dipped deeper.

A new trader employed the same technique to success.

A developing trader as well, noting this as the biggest reason for his breakout month.

Would it kill you to get up, take a walk and buy some Starbucks when you are not seeing the screens well?

That is what we are seeing on our prop desk this month.  Perhaps this is a best practice to set as a goal for your trading this month.

*no relevant positions