Commandment #8:Take a Day Off When You Need It
According to The World Health Organization, just over $1 trillion is lost in productivity from anxiety and stress.
So make sure you're not flushing money down the drain by trading when you're not in the right state of mind.
Take a day off.
There's no harm or shame in taking a mental health day from the market…
Just make sure that you come back even sharper the next day.
Here is a short checklist you can use to make sure your mental health days are restorative:
- Decide what you're missing and need most
- Plan for how to achieve it
- Reset and come back sharper
Decide What You're Missing and Need Most
Before you make any trade, you have to ask yourself…
"Am I in a healthy state of mind? Do I feel good about what I'm doing?"
If the answer to that is no, then you have to decide what you're missing and need the most. If you are tired, get some rest. If you spent hours taking that online trade course, get up and take a walk.
Maybe you're feeling angry and can't think clearly because of something going on in your life.
Just take a second and reflect on what you need.
Practicing that level of self-awareness can take time.
But remember to refer to that note in your wallet or on your desk as a constant reminder that you need to be kind to yourself and take a break.
Plan for Your Mental Health Day
After you've figured out what you need, it's time to plan your mental health day. You'll decide when you're taking that day, what you're going to do, and what you are NOT going to do.
What you're going to do is something that brings you back to a clear state of mind so you can reset and come back sharper. Don't do anything on your mental health day that puts you deeper in the rabbit hole of your bad habits.
On your mental health day you can:
- Go for a nice walk or jog on a warm sunny day
- Treat yourself to a fancy and delicious meal
- Talk to your family and friends
- Get a soothing full-body massage
- Relax with your favorite shows
Your mental health day is NOT an excuse to:
- Forget about or procrastinate on your goals
- Indulge in your bad vices (overeating, overdrinking, smoking all day, etc)
- Keep to yourself
- Get stuck on negative emotions or memories
You don't want to do anything that triggers any negative state you were feeling in the first place. You still have to take accountability for your behavior even on your day off.
Reset and Come Back Sharper
After taking your mental health day, it's time to assess whether taking that day off helped or not.
The point of your day off is for you to reset and come back sharper in your state of mind and performance as a trader. And the only way to know that is if you got closer to your trading goals after your mental health day.
This is another self-awareness test. You should ask yourself questions and note how you're feeling.
- Do I feel better?
- Am I ready to come back to trading?
- Can I focus more clearly?
- Was there something I didn't notice before or after my mental health day?
- Was I able to finish whatever I was working after my day off?
Hopefully, the answer should be yes to all of these questions. And once you notice any improvements in your mental and physical performance. Take note of what you did on your day off. And make that a routine response to when you experience stress and burnout.
Don't Overwater Your Seeds
There's no harm in taking a day off. In fact, it's a requirement.
You may want to grow your trading skills and bear fruit for all of your hard work… but overwatering your seeds can also kill your growth.
Relax. And get some rest.
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