Traders often find themselves grappling with a phenomenon known as "Decision Fatigue." This cognitive challenge refers to the gradual decline in decision-making abilities as traders are bombarded with numerous choices throughout their trading sessions, leading to mental exhaustion and, in some cases, the perilous practice of over-trading. It is an issue that plagues many traders and one that I frequently discuss with One-on-One Mentorship clients and in the Trading Mentorship Group. This article explores the implications of decision fatigue in day trading and provides actionable strategies to help traders navigate this challenge and optimize their trading performance.
Understanding Decision Fatigue in Day Trading
Decision fatigue in day trading manifests as a cognitive shortcut that prompts irrational trade-offs in trading decisions. The continuous stream of choices faced by day traders can overwhelm their cognitive abilities, making each subsequent decision more challenging. This phenomenon significantly impacts the quality of decision-making, often leading to impulsive actions, such as over-trading, which usually results in losses. Have you ever had a profitable trading morning, just to give back your gains later in the day? This can be the result of decision fatigue.
Most traders know that discipline is one of the most important thing to master - Yet, most traders suck at staying disciplined. They take setups outside of their wheelhouse, overtrade, oversize, hesitate on their best plays, etc. Through my own trading journey and in working with over 1000 traders, it’s become obvious that our ability to make high level decisions, and our ability to adhere to our plan and follow through on our rules slowly depletes as the clock ticks on.
An Example of Decision Fatigue in Trading - Number of decisions until fatigued will vary
Have you ever wondered why that is? Discipline comes from willpower, & willpower is finite. That's because discipline and impulse control comes from your pre-frontal cortex (PFC). Your PFC is strongest in the morning (if you’ve slept well) but weakens throughout the day - Much like a muscle or battery that has been overused. Most traders are totally spent by the time 10am rolls around. That's because by 10am, a trader has already made more decisions than an average person makes in an entire day. From analyzing charts, news, scanners, orders, etc - All of these decisions have a cost. They use a tremendous amount of brain activity & essentially drain your PFC. If your PFC is drained, it now becomes much harder to find the discipline to do anything else. If you have been trading for a few years, you have likely noticed that most of your impulsive trading behaviors take place around mid-day lull (11am-1pm) or later. That being said, it does not have to be this way. I’ll share some ways to extend your ability to make those high level trading decisions (plus stay disciplined throughout the day) below.
Strategies to Mitigate Decision Fatigue:
Reduce Decision Load: Traders can reduce decision fatigue by minimizing the number of choices required during a trading session. This may involve focusing on specific tickers, timeframes, or strategies to streamline decision-making.
Establish Trading Routines: Creating and adhering to trading routines can provide structure and reduce the cognitive load associated with decision-making. Routine helps traders automate certain aspects of their trading process, allowing them to conserve mental energy for critical decisions. Look at your daily trading process - What can be automated or simplified to reduce cognitive load?
Always Have a Trade Plan: I am frequently astonished by the number of traders that come into the session without a detailed plan. As a trader, you must know: What you want to see, where you want to see it, and when you want to see it. The absolute best way to do this is through creating a daily trade plan. By deciding ahead of the market open how you will engage with price, you can decrease the cognitive load required throughout the trading session.
Prioritize Mental and Emotional Well-being: Managing stress and emotional well-being is essential in combating decision fatigue. Traders should be mindful of the quality of their sleep and how mentally sharp they feel. Implement practices such as meditation, exercise, or taking breaks to refresh your mental state as needed. Something as simple as a 20 minute walk can do wonders for mental clarity.
Manage Glucose Levels: Acknowledging the impact of glucose levels on decision fatigue is crucial. Traders can maintain consistent energy levels by snacking throughout the day or making decisions after eating, helping prevent mental exhaustion.
Strategic Scheduling: Schedule critical trading decisions earlier in the day to take advantage of the mind's peak performance. This aligns with the concept that decision fatigue tends to increase as the day progresses. There is reason why most of the traders in the Trader’s Thinktank community are done trading in the first 90 minutes of the session, and why we have entire strategies built around this approach.
Decision fatigue is a challenge that every day trader must navigate to optimize their trading performance. By understanding the origins of decision fatigue specific to day trading and implementing proactive strategies, traders can enhance their decision-making capabilities, reduce the likelihood of over-trading, and ultimately improve their profitability.