In "Mastering Trading Stress", author Ari Kiev-a psychiatrist who specializes in stress management and works extensively with traders-offers examples, transcripts of conversations, and personality profiles of real-life traders to illustrate how stress affects their ability to perform at their best. Drawing on his vast experience, Kiev describes a variety of practical techniques that can be used to handle destructive emotions and out-of-control feelings, including his "Most Basic" stress busters, and tells what to do if a breakdown should occur.
Preface.Acknowledgments.Introduction.Chapter 1: The Nature of Stress: What Is Stress and Why Is It a Problem?The Fight-or-Flight Alarm.Differences in Stress Responses.Personality Factors.The Stages of Stress.Taking It Step-by-Step.Chapter 2: The Emotions of Stress: What Negative Emotions Are Experienced as a Result of Stress?Fear and Greed.Guilt.Worry.Anger.Euphoria.Chapter 3: The Dangers of Trading under Stress: How Do Attempts to Handle Stress Create Problems for the Trader?Trading Despite Stress.Avoiding the Stress.Creating a Social Persona.Competing to Win.Being Indecisive.Chapter 4: How Fear Inhibits Mastery: Can You Learn to Lessen the Central Emotion of Fear?Responding to Fear.Disciplining for Success.Relinquishing the Need to Be Perfect.Maintaining Psychological Energy.Starting with a Clean Slate.Chapter 5: The Consequences of Negative Emotions.Greed and Risk Management Errors.The Difference between Confidence and Arrogance.Mistakes of Insecurity.Why Not to Avoid Negative Feelings.How Negative Emotions Lead to Impulsive Behavior.Chapter 6: Personalities and Stress.List Makers (Analytical Thinkers).Intuitive Thinkers.Optimist/Pessimist/Realist.Are You Confident or Insecure?Make the Most of Your Personality.A Winning Personality.Chapter 7: Ego and Obstinacy.A Stubborn Nature.Refusal to Accept Commands.Difficulty with Management.Chapter 8: Fear and Failure.Afraid to Win.Failing to Commit.Moving Forward.Chapter 9: Perfectionism and Paralysis.The Problem 124Finding a Solution 124What about You? 128Chapter 10: Failing to Manage Risk.Risk Management for a Vision.The Psychology of Risk.The Importance of Self-Analysis.Asking the Right Questions.Assessing Your Attitude toward Risk.Looking for the Positive.Relaxation and Risk.Taking Responsibility.Chapter 11: Failure to Dig Deeper.Discerning the Importance of Data Analysis.Too Much or Not Enough?Gathering the Information.Reducing Stress.Chapter 12: Failures in Shorting.Reluctance to Short Stocks.Stress and the Short Squeeze.Steps of a Good Short Seller.Chapter 13: Learning to Live with Stress.Learning to Observe.Creating New Life Principles.Reframing Negative Thoughts.Choosing an Objective.Defining New Priorities.Chapter 14: Exercises and Practical Applications.The Most Basic Stress Busters.What to Do When You Have a Breakdown.Importance of Commitment.Index.