Janice Dorn, MD, PhD
Neuropsychological Trading Coach
Janice Dorn, M.D., Ph.D., has been a full-time futures trader since 1994. Doctor Janice holds an M.D. in psychiatry and is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. She holds a Ph.D. in brain anatomy. A graduate of Coach University, she is a pioneer market psychiatrist and financial neurobehaviorist. Doctor Janice has written over 500 articles on the financial markets and coached over 600 traders worldwide. She is the Global Risk Strategist for Ingenieux Wealth Management Group, Sydney, Australia.
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Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia…Charles M. Schultz
This is the end of worry, at least for this month. Please go back and review the two previous Trading Wisdoms on worry (Angst, Anxiety and Adrenals; It's Always Something) and then sit back and allow me to share with you a counterintuitive way that you can improve your mental and physical health by cutting down on the amount of worrying you do. As most of you have noticed, the RST pattern is one that is suited perfectly to worry, and now that we are near the top of the triangle, you have an opportunity to review your own thoughts, feelings and actions as they played out through this pattern.
Trading has everything to do with emotions and making emotional decisions. You are not the only person who has been worried; you are part of some 66 million other traders all over the world who contribute to and magnify this worry. It may be of some small comfort to you to know that you are not alone, but part of the great global consciousness of trader worry.
What can you do about worry? Most people will tell you things you already know. There are tons of books and papers published about how to stop worrying. Apparently, the suggestions are not working so well, since more books about this are coming out every day. If the books cured worry, you wouldn’t need more of them. Some of the suggestions that are offered to reduce worrying include: don’t worry, be happy; get plenty of rest; postpone worrying by putting it a box at the front door; eat healthy food; get your mind onto other activities; buy this life-changing book or audiocassette or DVD that will give you an instant cure for your worry; don’t sweat the small stuff; exercise regularly; meditate; and relax. Some of these suggestions may be beneficial and actually help a little. However, most people just can’t do them because they are—well, too busy and worn out from worrying!
For this reason, I suggest to you today that you actually worry more. I mean really, really worry. Worry about everything and anything you can think of. Sit in your chair, or get in your car, or go out to dinner and start worrying about every bad thing that could possibly happen to you. Do more than that. Start telling other people everything that worries you. Call people up and start reciting your litany of worries; stop people in grocery stores and do the same. Form discussion groups to just talk about how worried everyone is. The possibilities are endless!
You can worry about your positions in the market, selling before something hits “target," taking too little profits, taking too many losses, getting into an automobile accident on the way to dinner, forgetting to turn the stove off before you left, not answering that phone call or e-mail that was so urgent, one or more of your children getting into trouble, a fight with your wife or the thought that she might be having an affair or will leave you. You can worry about every piece of hideous breaking news that comes through the media, including earthquakes, tsunamis, terrorist attacks, killer flu, earnings that might affect your position in the market, short-selling scandals, the plunge protection team, identity theft, airplane crashes, getting stopped at airport security, contracting a serious illness or dying.
I am totally certain that I have only begun to scratch the surface of the multitude of things you can worry about. Just keep worrying. Write down everything you are worrying about. Make worry lists and write down what you can do about each person, place, thing and situation that worries you. If people start telling you that they don’t want to hear any more of your worries, go into your room alone and start talking aloud to yourself about every single scenario that could possibly go wrong. Just sit there and listen to your voice and the litany of worry that comes pouring out. How does that sound? How does that feel? Visualize yourself as the star of a movie in which you spend the entire time worrying . Are you sick and tired of yourself and your worries yet? Are you laughing at yourself yet? Maybe you are. On the other hand, you may now be worried that everyone (including yourself) is laughing at you because you are so filled with worry.
Yes, just as you expected, there’s always something to worry about…or is there?
Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday…Author Unknown
Until Next Time,
Good Trading and Brain On!
Janice Dorn, M.D., Ph.D.
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