How To Stop Getting Distracted Trading From Home

Ooo a notification, ooo a moving market, ooo an interesting YouTube thumbnail…

The world is trying to grab our attention, and as a trader, you must protect that precious brain capacity!

You need every ounce of focus you can muster to execute and trade to the best of your ability.

So how you you help yourself stay focused on the job at hand?

Here are 4 rules that will help.

#1 A no-interruptions rule

Most traders trade from a home office, maybe a spare room, a kitchen table, a dedicated outbuilding, or loft conversion.

And most traders don’t live alone.

Which means you need to be strict with your interruptions rule.

Use a lock, a sign or just a rule that says if you are in there then you are not to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency.

You can’t have people walking in and out whenever they like, it sounds brutal I know, but they will always come in just as you are about to pull the trigger on a trade you’ve been waiting for… and that can ruin a whole day.

Set a rule.

When you’re trading you’re trading, no disturbances.

But when the doors open, or you’re walking about then fine. Happy to chat…

#2 Put your phone on do not disturb mode

Likewise with the phone.

Someone ALWAYS will call you 2 minutes before the open. Always!

And sure, you might not take it, but that ‘buzz buzz’ and frustration that you have been distracted for a few minutes can really throw you off balance.

Set it to do not disturb mode.

No notifications, no calls nothing.

(BTW most phones have a setting where a call can break through from a certain person, say a school number, or multiple calls from the same number in a short period of time indicating a possible emergency.)

It’s worth taking the time to get the settings right, then you can set your phone, and know you are not going to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency.

Full focus on the markets.

#3 No errands or chores

You may be trading from home, but that doesn’t mean you should get distracted by washing, tidying, or taking a parcel to the post office!

A work day is a work day, and whatever time you dedicate to trading you should stick to.

Even if that’s a few hours.

Trading time is just that, trading.

And if you aren’t entering or managing positions then doing something else to move you forward is a good idea.

Analysing the markets, prior trades, studying new strategies, etc.

#4 Forced short breaks

The mind can easily wander, the market’s quiet nothing’s happening, and you drift off…

Before you know it you’re browsing the internet, fully distracted.

An hour goes by and you miss a great setup.

Humans aren’t very good at focusing for long periods of time. We crave distraction.

So schedule in breaks.

A 5-minute break where you can do whatever you like every hour or so helps keep distractions at bay.

Especially in a quiet market.

Schedule in lunch and coffee breaks when you know the market is likely to be quiet.

Give your brain a chance to refresh for a short moment so it’s ready to make those important risk decisions quickly when the time comes.

What have I missed? Have you got any great tips to avoid getting distracted? Headphones perhaps?!

Anyway – trading is tough enough as it is. Give yourself the best possible chance of success!