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Become aware of your stresses and your emotional and physical reactions. 

• Notice your distress. Don't ignore it. Don't gloss over your problems. 

• Determine what events distress you. What are you telling yourself about meaning of these events? Most traders become anxious over losses, yet successful traders have learnt that an essential part in becoming a winner is – make it ok to lose – no one wins all the time.

• Determine how your body responds to the stress. Do you become nervous or physically upset? If so, in what specific ways? 

Recognize what you can change. 

• Can you change your stress by avoiding or eliminating it completely? Consider reducing the leverage on your account, constantly work on improving your trading system. 

• Can you reduce the intensity (manage them over a period of time instead of on a daily or weekly basis)? 

• Can you shorten your exposure to stress (take a break, leave the physical premises)? 

• Can you devote the time and energy necessary to making a change (goal setting, time management techniques, and delayed gratification strategies may be helpful here)? 

• Traders need change their beliefs about losses in order to become successful. Remember that beliefs are not reality. They are just your perception of reality.

• Two traders may experience the exact same market move, but respond very differently based upon their interpretation of events. Although it is common for traders to attribute their stress to the market action that particular day, it would be more accurate to point the finger at how they had processed the market move. 

• How traders interpret market events frequently makes the difference between a constructive response to adversity and an impulsive and destructive one. 

Maintain your emotional reserves. 

• Develop some mutually supportive friendships – Trading can become a very lonely job, log into our live interactive support forum and get chatting – you can learn a lot from other traders.

• Pursue realistic goals which are meaningful to you, rather than goals others have for you that you do not share.

Expect some frustrations, failures, and sorrows.
Always be kind and gentle with yourself -- be a friend to yourself. 

Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions to stress. 

• The stress reaction is triggered by your perception of danger...physical danger and/or emotional danger. Are you viewing your stress in exaggerated terms and/or taking a difficult situation and making it a disaster?
  Are you expecting to please everyone? 

• Are you overreacting and viewing things as absolutely critical and urgent? Do you feel you must always prevail in every situation? 

• Work at adopting more moderate views; try to see the stress as something you can cope with rather than something that overpowers you. 

• Try to temper your excess emotions. Put the situation in perspective. Do not labour on the negative aspects and the "what ifs." 

Learn to moderate your physical reactions to stress. 

• Slow, deep breathing will bring your heart rate and respiration back to normal. 

• Relaxation techniques can reduce muscle tension. Electronic biofeedback can help you gain voluntary control over such things as muscle tension, heart rate, and blood pressure.

  Medications, when prescribed by a physician, can help in the short term in moderating your physical reactions. However, they alone are not the answer. Learning to moderate these reactions on your own is a preferable long-term solution. 

Build your physical reserves. 

• Exercise for cardiovascular fitness three to four times a week (moderate, prolonged rhythmic exercise is best, such as walking, swimming, cycling, or jogging). Eat well-balanced, nutritious meals. 

• Maintain your ideal weight. 

• Avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine, and other stimulants. 

• Mix leisure with work. Take breaks and get away when you can. 

• Get enough sleep. Be as consistent with your sleep schedule as possible.