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Creative Ideas for Stress Management

Whether you’ve mastered the trading system or not, stress is an unavoidable yet normal part of a forex trading environment

Stress is a natural reaction especially when dealing with worries like monetary losses, risky trades or economic pressure. From time to time, all forex traders need to cope with the tension that comes with forex trading. The most important thing to remember is that stress is normal and manageable.Stress management is the best way to keep trading anxieties at a tolerable and healthy level. With the 24-hour market of currency trading, stress can take it’s toll if not addressed and properly resolved. It can affect traders emotionally, physically and mentally during a trade and in the long run.Overworking can cause problems like migraines, stomach aches, insomnia or high blood pressure. Here is what too much stress does to your body:

  • Stress weakens the immune system and increases sick days.
  • Stress puts your overall health at risk which affects trading performance.
  • Stress tampers with your thoughts and decision making.
  • Stress can deter you from going for more trade opportunities or doing more analyzing.
  • Stress from work can leak into personal life.

If you give yourself time to relax and take a break, you can also turn chronic stress into a positive experience. Positive stress is great for quick energy boosts and for better performance.There are plenty of ways to handle stress. To start, take note of these simple do’s and don’ts for stress management:

  1. Don’t overstress on problems that are beyond your control. Do think about opportunities.
  2. Don’t let expectations or emotions cloud your instincts.  Do let your studies and trading plan guide you.
  3. Don’t keep your frustrations in. Do talk and reach out to others.
  4. Don’t worry too much. Do take control!
  5. Don’t always take a break from trading stress. Do plan meaningful strategies and learn from every session.
  6. Don’t waste time. Do use your hours efficiently with Time Saving Strategies.
  7. Don’t be complacent. Do keep your mind open for learning.
  8. Don’t work too much hours. Do give both body and mind to rejuvenate and prepare for the next session.
  9. Don’t put yourself at your limit financially or emotionally. Do set boundaries to prepare for losses.
  10. Don’t lose perspective. Do think about the big picture and what you want to achieve in forex trading.

To take stress management to the next level, here are creative and modern ways to manage stress:

Measure and Manage your Stress Levels Online

If you are too busy to realize your stress levels, start by taking a stress test from Stress Management Society, 15 Minutes 4 Me or Be Mindful Online. Online tests and websites like these are perfect for traders who like to properly examine how and why stress levels are high. These sites also come with very helpful tips, programs and studies on how to improve overall well being. They are great resources that help guide anyone towards proper stress management and boost mental health for work or for personal life.To track your stress levels, go back to these sites and retake the test. If results are the same, try other ways to de-stress or look for the right trigger that causes the negative response. With many organizations and websites now devoted to self-improvement, you can easily learn how to enhance life at work.

Spoil the Senses: Sight. Taste. Sound. Smell. Touch.

Something as simple as treating your senses can be a highly effective way to manage stress. Don’t forget that these are meant to be practiced only once in awhile to break the daily work routine.Suggestions to spoil the senses and de-stress:Visit a spa and wellness center. Search for local spa services to relax both body and mind. Make sure to do your research online and find top ratings or reviews of the center. You don’t want to treat yourself to a spa day but go through more stress and spend money on a bad experience.Have a special activity at home with family or friends. Pick good music, prepare a delicious meal and have a simple get-together with family and friends. To plan a stress free occasion, make sure to simplify the details. You can send invites via Facebook or have a potluck dinner to lessen any burden while hosting.De-stress with a vacation. Planning a trip can also be stressful but with helpful blogs, new apps and travel websites. Check out Nomadic Matt for easy steps on how to start planning your next vacation. For apps to use while traveling, make sure to read Five Best Travel Planning Apps. Pick an app that can make your trip less stress-free.Spend a bit of money in an amenity or service. Treat your senses to a perfectly clean house, freshly washed laundry, a spotless car or an organized filing cabinet. If you can afford it, hire someone to do your chores and tasks for work to take some of the burden off. Try the Around Me app to find services nearby.Watch a movie. This a great go-to destresser if you want to take a break from trading worries. Don’t forget to check the movie schedule and buy your ticket online to avoid long lines in the cinema.

Follow Inspiring & Positive Accounts on Social Media

De-stressing goes hand in hand with positive thinking. Studies show that an optimistic person is more likely to turn a negative experience into a positive type of stress. With the increased use of social media, plenty of users encourage daily optimism and encouraging texts or images to help others.Reading inspirational pictures or motivating QOTD (Quotes of the Day) can make a difference in daily outlook.

Facebook:

How to think positivePractice goodnessDaily inspirational quotesAbout stress managementMotivational life coaching

Instagram:

levoleaguehappstersgoproinspiringincart_we_inspire

Twitter:

@motivation@simonsinek@brendonburchard@coachdotme@successmagazine

Download apps that help manage stress triggers

Apps are great tools for stress management. The convenience of these apps can allow anyone to be more productive, get more organized or do tasks more efficiently. Based on the major stress triggers of a forex trading profession, here are the best apps to try:

MINT

Stress trigger: Money issuesBest for money managementFree download on iTunesIt is no surprise that money is a major stressor for a forex trader. With an uncontrollable market, managing your money outside of a trading session can help lessen the pressure.Money management is easier with an app like Mint. It lets you budget your daily expenses, pay bills and improve your credit score while overseeing your accounts. Not to mention, it’s free and easy to set up. You can also get customized tips and recommendations to help you manage your money. Mint

ANY.DO

Stress trigger: Not having personal timeBest for task completionFree after sign up. $45/ year or $5/ monthWhen you take on too much tasks, you end up not having time to wind down or de-stress. Using a task management app lets you see everything you need to do and plan your priorities at the right time.Any.do gives you a clear idea on how to move on with completing your goals everyday. It is a great task management app that helps achieve your personal to-do list or work tasks. Easy to use and innovative, it also allows you to sync across devices so that you’ll always be on top of what you need to do. Any.do

LIFE ORGANIZER

Stress trigger: Too much responsibilitiesBest for overall organizationFree 30 day trial. $9.99/ year or $.99/ month.There are many apps designed to make life more simple and lessen stress. If you are a forex trader with a lot on your plate, an organization app is the perfect virtual planner to help get everything done.With a sleek interface and creative notes library, the Life Organizer app is a very useful tool to increase your productivity. It can help you track annual goals and fulfill them. It also allows you to take down your important ideas via text, audio, or sketch. With this app, your goals are easier to accomplish and will keep you stress-free. Life OrganizerYou can also check out other apps that specifically promote stress management. With so many apps to choose from, all you need to do is try them out and see if it works on your stress level. Take a look at Forbes.com’s 10 Apps To Relax Your Body And Mind.

Find fun and interesting websites for stress relief

Everyone is different and the way you like to unwind might be different from others. Here are more tips for stress management and websites to practice them!

Smile!

Smiling is not just a sign of happiness. It also actually makes you happy when you do it. Pick a site and let us know if it makes you feel less stressed.Gives Me Hope -  a compilation of submitted posts and stories that are sentimental and upliftingGigglers.tv - “An online video channel dedicated to the funniest laughs online.”Huffpost Good News - a website for only good news like inspirational stories, community kindness and everyday heroes

Breathe in, breathe out

Doing a breathing exercise is a natural way to de-stress especially when you are already anxious. Luckily, there are websites that aim to teach and educate people on how to breathe properly.Do As One - an online community and non-profit organization that promotes conscious and synchronous breathing from around the worldBreathing - an informational website dedicated to developing optimal breathing skillsNormal Breathing - an informational website that shows studies as well as courses for normal breathing

Find a relaxing hobby

Relax the mind by taking yourself out of the trading desk and focusing on a new hobby or a favorite pastime. Find me a hobby - an interesting website that shares many hobby ideas monthlyTopix - a hobby forum filled with all sorts of ideas and discussionsStorm the castle - a website with a long list of hobbies and a few links about them In the risks and losses of currency trading, stress can easily affect emotions if not dealt with. Over time, manageable stress is the ideal strategy to get through the inevitable worries of forex trading. By practicing effective stress management, a beginner or an expert trader can build a healthy and balanced forex trading career.