Pumping Heart Rates When Trading

[Legion]

Ok, i saw some TV on stress blood and heart rates and brain reactions.

Now then the experiment concluded that stress is good for the brain as it means typically your heart will pump 400% more blood to the brain enabling it to react quicker. Putting this in your trading situation I can remember when i could detect a harder or heartier thump of the ticker when being drawn into battle, not conscious stress,(just conscious of the thud of your heart ) but more like a tiger waiting to pounce on a calf with a limp and catch dinner.

Now is it fair to say that eliminating all stress, will have a negative impact on a traders performance? ie you will not get that blood pumped aiding the brain to act even swifter, if so what techniques do people use to pump themselves up?

I guess answering my own question then it doesnt matter if you have a resting heart rate whilst trading, dont get me wrong ive had physical symptoms of shaking stevens whilst trading years back, typical (i didnt know what the hell im doing and im getting spanked by these guys ) stress.

Stress symptoms should we induce them to aid performance?

And also knowing this now for rookie traders how can they use the fact that actually 400% more blood to the brain aint no bad thing for fuel injecting the brain to act?

 

[SOCRATES]

I read an article in one of the broadsheets a few years ago about a scheme some institutions had to attach their traders to heart monitors. These monitors were transistorised and about the size of a wristwatch would have been worn on the wrist. They would record heart beat rate and store the information, on the basis that stress and higher beat rates are related. This information could be examined at the end of the day and the relationship between an accelerated heart beat and stress immediately detected. Any trader not showing a higher coount would have been the subject of an investigation the article said.....interesting idea....anyone ever heard of this or experienced it ?.

 

[oatman]

What about the feeling of helplessness, an emptiness deep in your stomach when you've got a wrong position and the market is in a vacuum :?: :cheesy:

 

[Lightning McQueen]

I personally would not particularly want to induce stress just for a perceived mind performance enhancement. I know this link is sports oriented but is none the less relevant IMO.

http://www.mindtools.com/stresscn.html

not to mention all the health problems that are associated with stress and high blood pressure. A big no no all round I feel, stress is best avoided if you want a long happy life spending all that market derived loot. want to be burnt out by 50, go ahead

don

 

[Charlton]

Now is it fair to say that eliminating all stress, will have a negative impact on a traders performance? ie you will not get that blood pumped aiding the brain to act even swifter, if so what techniques do people use to pump themselves up?



I guess answering my own question then it doesnt matter if you have a resting heart rate whilst trading, dont get me wrong ive had physical symptoms of shaking stevens whilst trading years back, typical (i didnt know what the hell im doing and im getting spanked by these guys ) stress.



Stress symptoms should we induce them to aid performance?

Legion



Whilst I could imagine there are some professions such as sales where heightened emotional states might help performance, I definitely do not advise it for trading, both for reasons of consistent performance and for health.



You may have seen documentaries about surgeons or airline traffic controllers at work. Have you noticed how calm, collected and authoritative they appear in these life and death situations – no Gordon Ramsay behaviour there.



For traders I think it should be the same thing during the process of trading. If you feel heightened emotional states such as elation you may be tempted to be reckless with your exits as you feel you are on a profit roll. If you feel threatened by being proved wrong you may hold onto a losing trade too long, convincing yourself that it will turn around soon. So bringing in emotions may introduce inappropriate discretion into trading, when you should be taking an objective stance and sticking to your pre-defined plan.



A well thought out plan covering entries, exits, risk and money management will provide the resource to make quick and objective decisions.



Charlton

 

[Lightning McQueen]

and also

http://www.trade2win.com/knowledge/articles/general_articles/stress-can-ruin-your-trading/

 

[ampro]

I read an article in one of the broadsheets a few years ago about a scheme some institutions had to attach their traders to heart monitors.

Any trader not showing a higher coount would have been the subject of an investigation the article said.....interesting idea....anyone ever heard of this or experienced it ?.

We had Tony Robbins come in a few yrs back whilst I was working for a Swiss Firm. Not going to go in to the specifics etc, but "internal tempering" was the focus of the exercise.

All the managers/heads of ops & senior traders went thru the program. The object of the exercise was to reveal how differing emotive states affected the results & impacted on the decision making process - & which type of environment triggered a positive enhancement.

It was a pretty cool exercise, & revealed very differing & in some cases, surprising results.

Once the specific "state" was identified in the individual & the results showed a positive outcome, Robbins then went to work on his re-inforcing & mirroring techniques to the seperate groups (& where required, the individual).

Bottom line: different personalities perform & excel under very differing emotive states & conditions. It's a case of unearthing which specific environment produces favorable results & mirroring those conditions when the opportunities present themselves.

I guess recognizing these conditions can assist in determining the possibilities of certain outcomes? Like anything else, it requires exploration & practice to find yours?

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

All jobs occasionally inspire a bit of stress (or excitement). Even the humblest accounting clerk in the local town hall might feel a dampening of the brow and a tightening of the sphincter when hearing the words 'the boss wants to see you'. It's only to be expected that when dealing with large amounts of money - particularly your own money - emotions can come into play.

On the other hand, whenever I feel myself getting a bit hot under the collar (and I find stress interferes with the decision making process) I try to remind myself that trading is better than a 'real' job, with clients and bosses and deadlines and targets set by other people and that it could be worse - I could be surgeon: at least I can't kill anyone, or a soldier, being shot at. Now, being out on patrol in Helmand - that's stress...

 

[ampro]

Yup! That about puts it into perspective Jack, there's always something which trumps it huh?

 

[SOCRATES]

We had Tony Robbins come in a few yrs back whilst I was working for a Swiss Firm. Not going to go in to the specifics etc, but "internal tempering" was the focus of the exercise.

All the managers/heads of ops & senior traders went thru the program. The object of the exercise was to reveal how differing emotive states affected the results & impacted on the decision making process - & which type of environment triggered a positive enhancement.

It was a pretty cool exercise, & revealed very differing & in some cases, surprising results.

Once the specific "state" was identified in the individual & the results showed a positive outcome, Robbins then went to work on his re-inforcing & mirroring techniques to the seperate groups (& where required, the individual).

Bottom line: different personalities perform & excel under very differing emotive states & conditions. It's a case of unearthing which specific environment produces favorable results & mirroring those conditions when the opportunities present themselves.

I guess recognizing these conditions can assist in determining the possibilities of certain outcomes? Like anything else, it requires exploration & practice to find yours?

I find it intruiging that you ask me these two questions to end your post.

Different traders use different approaches under diffferent circumstances according to their own makeups.

A case in point is Barjon's article of today for the K Lab entitled "our Jack", which is totally at the opposite end of the spectrum but nevertheless he is happy and successful at what he does.

 

[ampro]

I know nothing of Barjon's psychological make-up. Nor yours or anyone else's. Neither do I care.

I'm merely interested in mine & how best it operates in specific conditions.

If Barjon or anyone else finds their "balance" then that's cool & a pretty good situation to find yourself in.

My use of the symbol (?) wasn't particularly aimed in your direction. I'll pay more att'n to the use of such add-on's in future

 

[SOCRATES]

I know nothing of Barjon's psychological make-up. Nor yours or anyone else's. Neither do I care.

I'm merely interested in mine & how best it operates in specific conditions.

If Barjon or anyone else finds their "balance" then that's cool & a pretty good situation to find yourself in.

My use of the symbol (?) wasn't particularly aimed in your direction. I'll pay more att'n to the use of such add-on's in future

Good.