Why Taking Breaks Saved My Trading Career
The Importance of Stepping Away and How It Can Save Your Trading and Mental Health
Hey there, traders!
Today, I want to talk about something deeply personal—taking breaks. A couple of weeks ago, I experienced burnout so intense that I seriously considered quitting trading altogether. I know, it sounds pretty wild, especially since trading is essentially all I've ever known. But burnout doesn't discriminate; it can hit anyone, even someone like me who lives and breathes trading.
Let’s dive into why stepping away isn't just beneficial—it's absolutely necessary.
My Personal Battle with Trading Burnout
Recently, market volatility has been crazy, keeping us all glued to our screens day and night—managing stress, preparing for trades, and trying not to miss opportunities. This relentless pressure led me to intense mental and emotional fatigue. I was frustrated with missing trades, exhausted from prepping constantly, and genuinely fed up with feeling chained to my desk.
Here's the truth: burnout is very real and extremely dangerous. It clouds your judgment, leading you to poor decisions like overtrading or seeing setups that simply aren’t there. Mental exhaustion can cost you far more than just missed trades—it can cost you your entire trading account.
The Lesson from Bodybuilding: Why Recovery Matters
Trading burnout actually reminds me a lot of my bodybuilding days. Back then, the coaches always emphasized how crucial off-days were—those days when you let your muscles rest and recover. In bodybuilding, rest isn't just beneficial; it's essential for growth. Trading, surprisingly, isn't that different. It might not physically exhaust you, but it mentally drains you. The time away from the screens is when your mental "muscles" recover, helping you come back sharper and stronger.
Just like muscles rebuild during rest, your trading mindset rebuilds during breaks.
“Rest, let your body relax and grow. Work up gradually and don't blow it. Sometimes you can do so much your mind gets sick of it. Remember what I said earlier: Keep your mind hungry. People have a tendency to overdo things at first and then sluff off.”
― Arnold Schwarzenegger
The Struggle to Disconnect
Recently, I took a week-long break even though it was amid a massive market sell-off. The first few days were incredibly difficult. Despite being on vacation in the Grand Canyon, I constantly checked my charts, becoming increasingly frustrated due to spotty internet. It's tough to let go because, as traders, we instinctively search for opportunities, and I know for me when I’m not working I’m always thinking about the next setup.
Yet by Thursday, something clicked. I finally disconnected, realizing the markets would still be there upon my return, with fresh opportunities awaiting me. That mental shift was crucial and reassuring.
This isn't the first time this has happened. Actually, it occurs almost every vacation I take. The first day or two is always extremely challenging to disconnect because we naturally gravitate towards doing what we've always done—looking for opportunities. It’s particularly tough for me to stop working. However, I noticed that the longer the vacation, the less need I felt to check my phone. By Thursday, I stopped obsessively checking and felt much better about disconnecting. It's interesting that a one-week vacation took me four days to finally stop looking at the markets.
Understanding Mental Capital
Trading doesn't drain you physically, but mentally, it's a relentless battle. Your mental capital—the clarity, sharpness, and decisiveness needed for trading—is your most valuable resource. Once that's depleted, your decision-making suffers dramatically, leading to costly mistakes and increased frustration.
Often, during periods of burnout, traders wrongly tweak their trading processes, assuming something technical needs changing. But the real issue usually isn't the process—it's you. It's your emotional state, your stress levels, and your mindset that need recalibration, not your charts or your strategies.
Turning Time Off into Self-Improvement
Instead of focusing on trading during my vacation, I decided to work on myself. My process wasn’t the issue—I was. So, I explored mindfulness and meditation, inspired by legendary investors like Ray Dalio, who attribute much of their success to these practices.
I found a fantastic audiobook called TraderMind, which not only explains the science behind mindfulness but also guides you step-by-step through meditation. One of the best aspects of this book is that each chapter progressively builds your meditation skills, creating an eight-week program to help establish a deeper meditative practice.
An interesting insight I gained from the book is that you won't immediately notice the effects of meditation. It actually takes about ten sessions before you even start to understand how to meditate properly. The author emphasizes starting small—just a mindful minute per day—and gradually building up to longer sessions. This practice helps you manage stress and maintain clarity by teaching you how to compartmentalize your thoughts and emotions effectively. After practicing what I learned all week Im happy to say that I finally had a few truly inspiring meditation / mindfulness sessions! This was in my opinion more beneficial than any day of sitting at the trading desk.
Mental Capital and Why It Matters
Trading isn’t physically exhausting, but it’s incredibly mentally draining. Our most valuable resource as traders is our mental capital—the clarity and sharpness needed for swift, accurate decisions. Once depleted, our decision quality deteriorates, resulting in costly mistakes. Taking breaks replenishes this mental capital.
It's important to understand that during burnout, it’s not your strategy failing—it's you. Often traders wrongly adjust their processes, but what they truly need is rest and self-care.
Why I Keep Talking About Breaks
I've discussed the importance of breaks numerous times, including a YouTube video I made a while back (CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO). I've also shared this message in previous Substack posts. I'm a firm believer in taking breaks because I've seen firsthand how valuable and transformative they can be.
Some traders I know simply cannot step away, even during vacations, especially when they're experiencing down periods. But here's the thing: taking breaks during tough times might be exactly what you need. More often than not, it's not your trading strategy that's the issue—it's you. Taking time off helps clear your head, reset your emotions, and allows you to return fresh and improved.
Practical Steps to Prevent Burnout
If you're feeling overwhelmed, here are some practical steps I've found invaluable:
Schedule Regular Breaks: Make breaks non-negotiable. Markets are always open again tomorrow.
Practice Mindfulness and Meditation: Start with just one minute a day and gradually build up your practice.
Invest in Yourself: Use downtime to improve your mental resilience through activities like reading, journaling, or learning new self-improvement techniques.
For anyone interested, I highly recommend checking out TraderMind—it’s been transformative and helpful guide for my trading and personal life.
Conclusion: The Real Power of Taking a Break
Trading demands immense mental strength—much like bodybuilding, your best progress often occurs during periods of recovery. Taking breaks isn't laziness; it's strategic, necessary, and essential for sustainable trading success. Just as muscles grow stronger after rest days, your trading skills sharpen significantly when you step away to recharge your mental capital. Prioritizing your mental health through purposeful rest and self-improvement activities ensures you return sharper, more focused, and better prepared.
I sincerely hope you all prioritize taking these essential breaks. Remember, it's never the wrong time to step away—the markets will always be here. When you do take a break, invest that time into yourself beyond simple rest and relaxation. Engage in activities that enhance your mental clarity, emotional resilience, and overall well-being, because these are the foundations of lasting trading success.
Stay sharp, stay clear, stay consistent—and together, we will conquer these markets!
Ryan Bailey
VICI Trading Solutions