Many people think that in order to improve on your trading you need to be sitting in front of your computer, reading and analyzing. While this is true to an extent, it can also be the source of stagnation and failure to actually improve any further, this can be for a number of different reasons including burning out, not having a clear mind, and being influenced by things you have previously read.
So we are now looking at a number of different things that you can do which are not related to trading but could potentially help you improve your trading for a number of different reasons.
Sports
Taking part in sports can have a number of benefits, and not just for your own body and health reasons, which we would point out are great reasons to be taking part in sport anyway. The sport also helps encourage certain attributes that help with trading, these are things like discipline, competitiveness, preparation, and patience, anyone that has taken part in sport and team games knows that these things form a big part of them.
Reading
Now you probably assume that we mean reading some trading books, however that would then be related to trading which is not what we are looking at. Reading a good novel, or even a magazine is a great way to clear your mind, it will allow you to come back to your trading with a completely clear and fresh mind. It has also been known that some of your best ideas for anything in life can be created when reading, even when they have nothing to do with the book you are reading, your brain is still subconsciously analyzing and looking at what you have done previously in the day. The imagination peak caused by reading can cause these thoughts and new ideas to come to the surface.
Yoga
You have probably been told about Yoga at least 100 times in your life, but does it really help? It just looks like a bunch of people making funny poses, doesn’t it? Well, you will get out of Yoga what you want to, many use it as a way to balance their body and mind, others to simply clear their mind of thoughts. It can be a way to refresh your mind before heading back to the markets, and also as something to do while the markets are acting a little slow. It also helps you to learn patience which is vital for trading in the markets of today.
Taking a Holiday
A little more on the extreme side, but sometimes it is good to get away, to have an extended break from trading. This will completely clear your mind of it, give you some fantastic experiences and when you come back you will be completely fresh. The good thing about doing this with a holiday is that you will be far away from the computer and the markets, so your mind shouldn’t keep coming back to it even when trying to relax. Just remember not to take your laptop with you.
Talking to Others
This seems simple, and that is because it is, talking to others is a great distraction, and this is where we will break our rule, but actually talking to others about trading, including other traders is a good way to grow new ideas or to develop your own further. Trading can be a lonely experience which can cause frustration and stress to build up, so venting and talking to others is a good release for these emotions and feelings.
So those are a few different things you could do, while none of them will help you to become an expert, each one has its own merits which can help to improve both your health, but also your mind when it comes to trading.
