All about Trading Psychology

All about Forex Trading Psychology

By admin, October 2, 2013

Our actions are normally governed by emotions. We’d like to think we are in control of our sensitivities but no matter how much we try, our feelings and thoughts get away from us and it is difficult to keep them in check. How often do we find ourselves in a simple political discussion and suddenly discover that anger has slowly crept into our tone of voice? How did it get there anyway? We were perfectly calm to start with.

Fear is another emotion that governs our behavior. When was the last time you held back from telling someone your true feelings for fear of being rejected?

In fact fear plays an overwhelmingly important role in our lives. Fear of dying. Fear of commitment. Fear of losing. Those that can overcome their fears usually move forward in life more rapidly than those who remain stuck in their possessive apprehensions.

Even in the area of investing, fear is a central ingredient. How much should we invest? Should we pull out early or risk losing whatever profits we have already made? In fact, should we be investing at all?

Although we each have a different level of risk tolerance, fear is often an underlying reason for investor mistakes. When we see our money slowly slipping away, panic sets in and we make the wrong move.

So in order to be an astute investor and anticipate some profits from our endeavors, we must learn to pull back from our fears and use our knowledge instead.

Forex trading

When it comes to Forex trading, we follow the same guidelines. Let’s face it. You wouldn’t start building a house without learning first how to use a hammer and nails. Why would you even consider Forex trading without knowing what Forex is all about?

Before placing even the first trade, you must come to the table with at least a minimum of understanding and information about the world of Forex. There are many online tutorials that will guide you through the basics of Forex and give you the background you will need in order to go forward. FXAcademy, for example, has just released a free online Forex course complete with animated videos, quizzes and links to relevant articles to keep you well informed.

With some knowledge under your belt, you can then open a Forexdemo account with an onlineForexbroker. This will enable you to trade with virtual money and gain the experience you need before trading for real.

Once you have gained the confidence you need to trade Forex, you can move on to a real trading account. Don’t forget to start small, see more on FXCM, and always move cautiously. Keep in mind that you will probably lose most of your money at the start. Now that you have learned to control your emotions, you won’t panic. Instead, you will lean on the information you have gleaned from your tutorials, ask advice from experienced traders and hopefully make the right moves.

Let’s face it. Forex trading, or any trading for that matter, is a gamble. No matter how much you think you can logically work out the best steps to take, the nature of investing is such that you will never be able to out-think and out-do the system. Stay in control of your emotions and be prepared for the inevitable. Sit back and try to have some fun. Winning or losing is not what is important; it’s how you play the game.