Trading stocks can be a psychologically and emotionally challenging activity. It requires discipline, patience, and the ability to manage your emotions. The way you think has a significant impact on your success in the market. In this  FXOpen article, we will describe some trading psychology techniques for traders.

Basics of Trading Psychology

The psychological and mental aspects of trading are referred to as trading psychology. It’s the study of how traders think, feel, and behave when making trading decisions. Some key elements of trading psychology include:

• Discipline
• Patience
• Emotional control
• Risk management
• Trader’s mindset

The theory states that traders should develop strategies to manage their emotions and make smarter decisions. You may consider developing a clear and well-defined trading plan, keeping a trading journal, and practising mindfulness techniques.

We have also created a stock market psychology chart to help you understand the different emotions that could potentially affect your trading decisions, alongside the market conditions that evoke these emotions. Have a look:

How Bias Affects Trading

Bias has a significant impact on trading decisions. Here are the most popular types of bias that we want to look at in more detail.

Negativity bias — focusing on negative news and market fluctuations. This fosters irrational decision-making and the loss of profitable opportunities. The lack of diversification in a portfolio is another negative consequence. Traders may avoid investing in certain companies based on negative news or experiences.

Gambler’s fallacy — believing that past performance predicts future results. This leads to overconfidence in certain trades or strategies and can lead to significant losses if the market does not behave as expected.

Status quo bias — sticking with familiar strategies even if they don’t work. This results in missed opportunities for growth and profit. It is better to adapt to changing market conditions to remain competitive.

Being aware of these biases helps traders mitigate their impact and improve their overall trading performance. If you want to learn more about trading and the influence of emotions on decision-making, you can open an FXOpen account, check out our blog, and try various psychological techniques in real trading.

Improving Trading Psychology

Improving trading psychology helps traders stay focused, reduce stress levels and make better decisions. Below we will elaborate on some of the best trading psychology techniques that you may want to use to achieve your goals and become more calm and rational.

1. Identify personality traits. It is extremely important to have a clear idea of your personal qualities. For example, if you are impulsive, you may be prone to emotional trades. If you are risk averse, you may find it difficult to take calculated risks. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you develop strategies.

2. Create a trading plan. It’s a good idea to develop a trading plan that will help you stay focused on your goals and avoid impulsive decisions based on emotions. A trading plan should outline your goals, strategies, and risk management techniques.

3. Conduct research. Keeping up with market news will help you make reasonable choices. Research also helps identify trends and patterns that will inform your trading strategies. Relying on the crowd’s judgement and following other people’s advice blindly is not a good way to go; it’s better to double-check the information yourself.

4. Don’t get lost in the numbers. While technical analysis and market data are important, it is also crucial to remember that trading is not just about numbers. Emotional factors like fear and greed often influence the market. Numbers don’t give a guarantee on the next market movements; they can only suggest a direction. Everything will still depend on people.

5. Accept that the market will do what the market wants to do. Despite careful preparation, unexpected market movements caused by traders on the other side of the world can disrupt your plans. To cope with such changes, you need to emotionally detach yourself from your trades. Realise that you cannot control the market and accept that it will behave as it pleases.

6.  Cut out the noise. There is no universal trading strategy, and what works for one person may not work for another. Instead, it’s rational to focus on researching the market and developing your own trading style. To avoid getting caught up in the excitement and being afraid to miss opportunities, try to be disciplined and stick to your plan. This will help avoid noise and distractions.

7. Embrace the risk. Perhaps you say you are not afraid of losing money and always set a stop-loss, but you end up moving it closer to the entry price when the trade doesn’t go as planned. As a result, the stop-loss may trigger just before the market starts to move in your favour. Fear of loss prevents you from trusting your analysis. Better trading outcomes may result from good risk management.

8. Know when to cash out. A clear exit strategy reduces potential losses and maximises profits. Without a clear exit strategy, traders may hold losing positions in the hope that the market will turn in their favour, but the market may continue to move against them. On the other hand, a clear exit strategy allows you to lock in profits when they arise. This reduces the risk related to market volatility and sudden reversals.

Improve your understanding of trading psychology and use it as you trade on our TickTrader platform. There you will also find many tools that are useful for traders with any level of experience. We also offer many opportunities to diversify your portfolio with different assets — trade currencies, commodities, crypto*, and indices at TickTrader.

*At FXOpen UK and FXOpen AU, Cryptocurrency CFDs are only available for trading by those clients categorised as Professional clients under FCA Rules and Professional clients under ASIC Rules, respectively. They are not available for trading by Retail clients.

This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.