I wouldn’t say that I’m a trading junkie, but I definitely choose to be active in the market. I trade a couple times a month but check it every day. I also live in Australia, so when I get up at 6am I’m checking the market in New York right away as it is close to the closing bell time in NY. On days the market is up, cool….however on days the market is down, I feel uneasy or anxious about “losing money.” I only invest as a “buy and hold” strategy and don’t purchase assets for an immediate up and then sell. I’ve been doing this for a good while now, 11 years, so I know the game. I’ve also seen my investments grow 15 times over that span, so I know perfectly well what goes on.
I still have some issue on down days though. Despite the fact that I know the risks, I know the swings, and I read the financial news enough to know when to anticipate up or down days, I still can’t seem to accept that this happens, quite often. I also have plenty of evidence that my investment choices have served me well over the past 10 years with good returns. I suppose the best explanation is that I’m worried about losing something I have, despite the fact that I know perfectly well what happens in the market. Why am I so unfair with myself? How can I separate the anxiety of “losing something” in the short run, but more than confident it’ll be ok 2 months from now. It may also have something to do with the instant gratification side of me, I want those 10x returns on everything, now…without down days. Lastly, waking up and reaching for my phone to check out what’s happening in NY before I have a chance to wake up probably has something to do with it. Haven’t cracked the habit of screen time immediately before/after sleep.
How can I approach this so that it’s easier on my moods and emotions as it may affect me for a portion or all of the day? Below is an unintentional model:
C: market falls for the day
T: I’ve lost part of what I have earned and losing money sucks
F: anxiety (light anxiety, or perhaps more like “upset”)
A: be in a bad mood/grumpy/worried that I won’t get to what I want
R: day is harder to function in for all/part of the day. Not as fun to be around due to anxiety, more “snappy” with others, even family.
