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Reduce Your Stress Level to Increase Your Productivity: Mastering Stress Management
Back in the early 2000s, I was a day trader. I was told that being an air traffic controller was worse on the nerves, but when it came to stress, I wasn’t convinced. There was no way that having my money on the line day in and day out was going to make me happy.
My workdays would start at 5 a.m., and by 6 a.m., I’d be paying attention to my computer screen, CNN, and CNBC for the next five hours. My mentor in day trading taught me that the biggest obstacle to winning at this game was letting your emotions lead you.
He was like a machine back then. The numbers were the key to making money. Let everyone else get excited, but focus on your entry and exit points. This was back in the day before "day trading" became a household word.
By 3:p.m. (I’m on the west coast), I was shaking. Whether I made money that day or not, it was like riding a rollercoaster for the entire day. I did this five days a week. The stress was crushing me.
Needless to say, the stress won. I got my money out after six months and never looked back. I still know people who love it. Stress is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. I admit that I just couldn’t cut it as a day trader.
