Weekend Routine as a Trader - Trading Routines that Breed Success

Trading can take a lot out of you during the week. It’s actually quite a blessing that markets close for the weekend. Even though you could still trade at odd hours or even pre-market conditions, in some cases, it’s usually ideal to stay away from the computer when the New York Stock Exchange is closed. The advice is the same if you regularly operate with the European market or the Asian market. What should you do with your trading routines on the weekends, then? Does it make sense to even keep a routine? Everything in the world of trading forces you to live a very structured life. While the weekends can be a perfect time to escape from that, you could still benefit from keeping some type of order in your day, even on your days off. The best trading routines include taking Saturday off! The way that you take this day off, though, still requires some structure. Young traders may want to use this day to go out with friends and just disconnect from everything. That’s not a bad idea, but you’ll probably want to make sure that you don’t overindulge in anything. This includes drinks, food, or anything that you may be a fan of. The reason why you don’t want to over-party per se is because you want to get to Sunday feeling rested. One of the biggest mistakes, not only in building trading routines but for any worker, is not getting enough rest on the weekend. It’s a tough sell sometimes; we know that much. You’ve worked hard all week, and you deserve to unwind! That’s true, but again, the body needs its rest, and the weekend can be a perfect time to catch up on that. Whatever you decide to do, it’s really important to limit screen time on the weekends. Good weekend trading routines usually feature little to no screen time on Saturdays. This is not the day that you want to go to the movies. The best thing that you can do is go outside or take part in social activities where you won’t be glued to a TV or a phone. Your eyes will be grateful if you follow this advice. This is the perfect day to go on hikes or jogs. Any type of physical activity is essential to good trading routines. That’s essentially the healthiest way to unwind. Sorry to burst someone’s bubble here, but Sunday, as a trader, you’re probably back at work! That doesn’t mean that you’re trading that day. Trading routines, particularly for day traders, have Sundays as the day that you look at your trading journal. You’ll have the time to analyze the previous week and hopefully spot some of the weak points in your strategy. That evening, you can also catch up on any news updates. If there are specific stocks that you want to look into for the next week, this is the perfect time to get that done. Are there any companies that are going to be presenting revenue reports? Will Jerome Powell step up to a podium this week? Highlight all the external factors that could impact your trading strategy in the following five days. Sticking to trading routines religiously is one of the keys to success in this business. You can certainly get away with some cheat days on the weekends. It’s actually healthy to do that from time to time. Trying to keep a certain schedule or structure to the day, even when the market’s closed, can truly help traders in the long run.