After years of trying to make money trading, I understood something that changed everything: the biggest factor for success is not strategy, but emotional management. That's why I decided to create my own emotional trading plan. A system as disciplined as any technical strategy, but focused on my inner balance.

Today I want to share with you how I built it, in case you too are tired of feeling that your emotions are sabotaging your results.

Step 1: Identify my triggers

Before building my plan, I made a list of the emotions that affected me most when trading:

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Anxiety about “not being in” a trade.

Euphoria after winning.

Anger after an unexpected loss.

Fear of losing again.

I named each emotion and described what triggered it. This step gave me clarity. They were no longer vague feelings, but signals I could recognize.

Step 2: Create pre- and post-trade rituals

Before trading:

I check my emotional state. If I feel upset, I do NOT trade.

I breathe for 1 minute with my eyes closed. I calmly connect with myself.

I read my rules. Yes, out loud. To remind myself that the plan is in charge.

I visualize two scenarios: profit and loss. I mentally prepare myself to accept both.

After trading:

I write down how I felt during the session. Was I distracted? Did I get upset? Did I follow my plan?

If I broke any rules, I write down why. Without guilt, with honesty.

I close the screen and disconnect. The market does not define my day or my worth.

Step 3: Integrate active breaks

I force myself to take breaks every 90 minutes, even if everything is “interesting.” I walk, drink water, breathe. It helps me avoid overexposure and keep my mind fresh. A tired trader is an impulsive trader.

Step 4: Define emotional limits

Just as I have a stop-loss for my trades, I have emotional stop-losses:

If I lose three times in a row, I stop.

If I find myself trading out of anger, I stop.

If I exceed my limit of hours in front of the screen, I stop.

The goal is simple: don't trade out of ego or lack of control.

Step 5: Strengthen my mindset outside the market

A good emotional state cannot be trained solely in front of the chart. That's why I incorporated

habits that strengthen me:

Physical exercise (it regulates my stress).

Daily meditation (it gives me clarity).

Reading books on trading psychology.

Talking to other traders (it reminds me that I'm not alone).

My mind is my main tool. I can't expect to trade calmly if I live

in chaos.

And what has changed since I started using this plan?

I didn't become a millionaire. But I became more consistent, lucid, and confident. My decisions are cleaner. My relationship with trading is healthier. I no longer seek validation in every trade. I seek to execute well, feel at peace, and continue learning.

This plan isn't perfect, but it's mine. It helps me protect what's most valuable: my emotional stability. Because in this game, winning is important... but not losing yourself is even more so.