Hello Hugo, I lost my trade and I don't understand why I can't control it. Today was a negative day and I don't get it. I see the zones, the areas, the levels... but the most important thing, the trend, escapes me. It always happens to me in bearish trends: I look to enter long at the last possible level. It frustrates me because I know it, I am aware of it, and yet I cannot avoid it!
It's as if my mind and body are not connected. My mind tells me not to do it, but it's as if my body stops receiving orders. I just act and then see how I lose: I don't cut losses, I don't follow my strategy, I do nothing. I freeze and I don't understand it.
I have been doing this for almost 3 years, I have advanced a lot, but I still make the same basic mistakes. I do not understand it. Please, help me. Explain to me what is happening from my perspective. I need to understand it to improve.
Hello friend, I completely understand your frustration, and I want you to know that you are not alone in this. This is a challenge that many traders face, and although it seems very difficult now, you can overcome it. The first thing I want to tell you is: trading is not just technical analysis, it is emotional mastery. What you describe is not a knowledge problem, but a self-control and emotional management problem, and that is something that can be worked on. Allow me to guide you from this moment.
1. Understand your behavior: why you enter longs in a bearish trend
The problem you mention has a common psychological root among traders:
• Counteracting the market: You may unconsciously resist accepting the bearish direction because your mind is looking to "win" against the decline. This is more emotional than logical.
• Hope for reversal: Our brain seeks safety and often associates declines with buying opportunities. This can lead you to think you are finding the "bottom", but many times this "bottom" is an illusion.
• Risk addiction: Even if you don't notice it, you might be chasing the adrenaline of a trade against the current, where "success" feels more rewarding in the moment, but failure is emotionally amplified.
2. Why you get paralyzed: the "disconnected body"
Paralysis at critical moments occurs because your emotional system takes control. This is a brain response to stress, called cognitive resistance. At that moment:
• Your mind feels trapped in the dilemma: "Do I close and admit the loss, or do I wait and trust?".
• The amygdala (the part of the brain that responds to stress) shuts down your logic to protect you from the "immediate pain" of closing a losing position.
• You disconnect from your plan because your body prioritizes the instinct of "waiting for it to get better", which is an emotional trap.
3. Strategies to regain control
Here is where we must focus our work: retraining your mind and creating a more robust mental framework. These are practical strategies:
A. Before trading: prepare emotionally
• Recognize the trend first: Before analyzing zones or levels, ask yourself this basic question: "Where is the market? Is it going up, down, or sideways?". If it is going down, your only mission is to avoid longs or at least reduce their frequency.
• Write a simple mantra: Something as basic as: "I trade with the trend or I do not trade". Read it before each session.
• Accept the market as it is: Mentally practice letting go of the need to "win". Remember that your job is to go with the flow, not to control it.
B. During the trade: create unbreakable rules
1. Make decisions with rules, not with emotions:
o Example: If the trend is bearish, I will only open a long position if there is a clear confirmation of reversal (BOS, CHoCH, etc.).
o If in doubt, do not trade. Sometimes, not trading is the best decision.
2. Set immediate stop losses:
o Define your maximum loss per trade before entering, and set it automatically. This way you avoid the temptation to move it later.
3. Trade by alerts, not by impulses:
o Use alerts on TradingView or any other platform to have the market "call" you instead of actively searching for trades. This gives you space to reflect before acting.
C. After a loss: learn, do not punish yourself
• Write in a journal exactly what you felt during the trade. Identifying emotional patterns will help you prevent future mistakes.
• Remember that each loss is a lesson, not a failure. What you are experiencing is part of the path to mastery.
4. Practical exercise: strengthen mental control
I want you to do this before your next session:
1. Breathe and reflect: Before trading, take 5 minutes to close your eyes and visualize yourself acting like a disciplined trader. Imagine yourself saying "no" to an impulsive trade.
2. Prepare a decision checklist:
o Trend (Is it bullish or bearish?).
o Entry/exit plan (Is it clear or am I improvising?).
o Acceptable risk (Have I defined my stop loss?).
3. Evaluate each trade honestly: Ask yourself afterwards: "Did I act according to my plan or according to my emotions?".
5. Believe in yourself
Do not punish yourself for mistakes, but do learn from them. You have the technical knowledge and 6 years of experience. Now it's time to focus on polishing your psychology and habits. The fact that you recognize your flaws means you are about to make a significant leap.
Remember: trading is a marathon, not a sprint. Every day is an opportunity to improve, and I am here to guide you. Let's work together, step by step. You can overcome this!
Greetings, have a great day!
