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How many hours do you trade / watch the market? As a new person, who will try to balance work and trading, I'm curious how long you participate in the market for.
For instance, today, I was doing well, but decided to close down the platform, as I didn't want to over trade. Nor give back profits.
Anywhere from 30 minutes to until the close. It depends on lot of factors. Today I made money in the first 30 minutes, closed it down... but missed the market and came back later.
You are never in the wrong place... but sometimes you are in the right place looking at things in the wrong way.
As someone who is "trying to balance work and trading" - try the other way around:
ALLOCATE.
Decide how much time you're *comfortably* able to allocate to trading on a regular basis. Be specific - which times of day, how many days a week.
Consider both "screen time" and "homework time" (which is where the big time is).
NOW - fit your trading style to the available times. You only have an hour in the morning? Trade openings, and learn how to do that. You're unavailable before 15:00ET? Trade closes, and learn how to do that. You're hardly available during the work day? trade longer time frames. You're available for a full morning twice a week? great. Trade twice a week.
You get the picture: There's a solution for everyone. Trying a style that's conflicting heavily with your life is a sure stressor - to both life and trading success.
Imagine instead of trading, you'd be thinking of a second job - without heavily interfering with your current one. You would say to yourself: "I'm available at these slots and frequencies, and I'll find a job that fits those parameters". You would only apply to jobs that fit your availablity. Well, it's the same. You ARE thinking of a second job...
As you progress in your trading, the allocation may change - as will your style.
By the way: time allocation has nothing to do with overtrading. Some people overtrade - as you described - because they stay too long in front of the screen. Others overtrade because "they only have an hour, and if they don't get a trade in they'll have to leave and get no action" so they just trade whatever is out there just to get one in.
Overtrading is an entirely different issue, and psychological in nature. The solution isn't to keep yourself away from the screen - just as overeating is not really solved by staying away from the fridge (although it may help in certain situations, it's not a root solution).
Exactly: I swing trade stocks so don't have to spend a lot of time during market hours. I need an hour max in the evening and then can spend as much time as I like during the day. Some days it's no time at all; orders are placed and executed when the buy and sell stops are triggered.
"The days when I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good days" RW Hubbard
If by trade you mean executing trades, total time in a day would be about 30 minutes or less. but watch? all day and whenever I can. I have mental levels I look out for.
... now when i'm on the go, order book isn't something I can always monitor, but candlesticks? You bet i'm looking.
Trading: Primarily Energy but also a little Equities, Fixed Income, Metals and Crypto.
Frequency: Many times daily
Duration: Never
Posts: 5,051 since Dec 2013
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Sat in front of a trading screen? 5 days a week, 730am-430pm, plus 15-30 mins most days sometime between 6pm and 8pm. Also in busy times I will check prices on my phone 2-3 times a day on top of that, ie in the evening and early in the morning.