Confidence in Trading

Dopamine and Day Trading

In this episode of the Confidence in Trading podcast "Dopamine and Day Trading - The Science Behind The Rush", host Agnieszka Wood explores the role of dopamine, the brain's "desire" chemical and the effects that it has on decision-making and risk-taking. Learn about the two characters of dopamine and the ways it can help and sabotage your trading efforts. Discover how to use its power to your advantage in the pursuit of financial gains in trading.

Broadcast on:: 20 Oct 2023

About Agnieszka Wood

Founder and CEO of Ahead Coach, Trading Mindset Coach

Agnieszka Wood, is a passionate and accomplished day trader with over a decade of hands-on experience in the financial markets. Coming originally from Poland but having spent most of her life abroad, notably in the Netherlands and the United States, Agnieszka brings a diverse perspective to her work. Her journey is marked by conquering challenges, a deep passion for self-development, a commitment to unlocking her full potential, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Since 2019, Agnieszka has taken on the role of Founder and CEO of Ahead Coach, a coaching platform where she conducts her transformative work as a Trading Mindset Coach. Through Ahead Coach, she offers coaching programs for traders that draw on her extensive 20+ year background in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), life coaching and her own experience in trading. Her holistic approach is designed to empower individuals not only in their trading endeavors but also in all aspects of life.

Agnieszka's influence extends beyond her coaching practice. She is a respected speaker at various trading events, where she shares her insights and knowledge with fellow traders and enthusiasts. In the trading education industry, she is known for her expertise in mindset coaching, helping traders overcome psychological barriers and build consistency.

Passionate about guiding individuals towards tangible results, Agnieszka thrives on taking on new initiatives and projects that promote personal growth. Her multifaceted expertise, unwavering dedication, and holistic approach make her a trusted coach for those seeking transformation and success.

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Contact Agnieszka Wood | Ahead Coach:

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Transcript:

[00:00:08.490]

Welcome to a new episode of the Confidence in Trading podcast. I am your host, Agnieszka Wood. I am so happy that you are here because today's topic could provide many of you with a lot of answers that you might have been searching for for a long time. Welcome to episode number 16, Dopamine and Day Trading - the Science Behind the Rush. Last week I mentioned how easily I can get bored and distracted and how I am constantly looking for new experiences.

[00:00:41.800]

I just love the feeling of starting something new. The excitement gives me a lot of energy and a huge confidence boost at times as well. Already as a child, I could not stick to just one hobby and after a month or two of, let's say, collecting postcards, I would be onto a new endeavor. I had a lot of hobbies at the same time, but I would end them one after the other very fast. My mom would say sometimes that I burned through hobbies, like through stack of hay, and that did not change.

[00:01:16.890]

Growing up, I was always getting very excited to start up a new initiative, whether that was a new job, starting a new business, or even a new relationship. And sometimes that was based on a very impulsive decision, getting very easily distracted and being able to get myself very enthusiastic about something to the point that it had to happen right now. And I am very, very good at talking myself into things, especially if I really feel excited about them. With time I have learned to get that under control and also talk myself out of things, especially those that are not in my best interest. But I can tell you that my head still keeps trying and if I don't pay enough attention, mindset coach or not, I will sometimes fall for it.

[00:02:20.350]

That's where knowing yourself becomes so important, especially if you are serious about achieving your goals in life. From my own trading experience and my work as a trading Mindset Coach, I know that this characteristic is quite common among traders and maybe even you recognize it yourself. If you have been following me for a while, you know that I talk a lot about beliefs and how they orchestrate everything we do. And if you want to change your behavior, that especially behavior that does not serve you, that you need to look at your beliefs. And if you want to change a behavior, especially behavior that does not serve you, you need to look at your beliefs so you can replace the limiting ones, the ones that are not helping you get what you want with empowering beliefs.

[00:03:24.210]

Beliefs are basically thoughts that we kept thinking until they became so strong that we started to identify ourselves with it and consider them the truth. And because of that, we never think to question them anymore. And so yes, on a mental level, we are being sabotaged by our own beliefs because your life changes. And sometimes the belief that you have been carrying with you for a long time through your life, they simply are not valid anymore. I would say not only not valid, a lot of times they are simply not functional and stand you in your way.

[00:04:13.010]

So that's one dimension that anyone who has some sort of dream and especially when you are working hard to make it happen and you don't move forward, that's the one dimension that you need to look at, especially if you want to book some progress, right? So beliefs, that's on a mental level, that's what stands a lot of people in a way to their goals and in a way to even, sometimes define their goals or even having a dream. Because limiting beliefs are not only preventing you from achieving your dreams for taking the necessary steps, many times they are actually preventing you from dreaming, from believing what is possible for you and from believing what you deserve and what you are worth. [00:05:13.190] So that's on a mental level, and if that's not enough to deal with, we also have a physical level that can work for us or against us. And yes, on a physical level, the first thing that comes to mind when achieving goals for everyone is going to the gym, having a workout routine, having a good diet, taking care of yourself.

[00:05:40.580]

And that's all very important. But what I am particularly interested in is what is happening behind the scenes. So not what's exactly obvious to the eye. Just like your beliefs are part of your subconscious programming. There is this one chemical in particular that I want to talk about today.

[00:06:04.950]

That chemical that has an incredibly big role in achieving success as a trader, dopamine. Dopamine is a brain chemical that was discovered in 1957 and was first seen as a way for the body to produce a chemical called norepinephrine, which is what adrenaline is called when it is found in the brain. Some scientists name Dopamine the pleasure molecule. But further research showed that Dopamine is not just about pleasure. The dopamine activity was not just a marker of pleasure, but it is a reaction to the unexpected, to possibility and anticipation.

[00:06:56.310]

This might be a hint for you why I am talking about this chemical and why is it such an important topic for traders. As human beings, we get a Dopamine rush from promising surprises. But when these things become regular events in our life and the newness fades, the Dopamine rush dissipates. Just think about relationships and the honeymoon phase. Sounds familiar, right?

[00:07:25.550]

Our brain is programmed to crave the unexpected. So logically we look to the future to deliver it to us because that's where every exciting possibility begins in the future. But as soon as the new becomes the usual, we turn our head and attention to the new opportunity. Back to the future. Just think about how often traders switch from strategy to strategy.

[00:07:56.510]

Especially when you don't get the results you want and you see maybe another trader on Twitter making money with a different strategy. Just be honest, doesn't a thought pops up in your head maybe I should try to trade what he is trading. It looks like he's making money. Maybe this is much better, maybe I should start doing that. Dopamine is great at is idealizing the unknown.

[00:08:25.570]

The problem is that the unknown can only be in the future. And when it actually becomes your reality and you finally get the things you want it's not as good as expected. The thrill of anticipation is gone and your excitement turns into disappointment. And because that does not feel very nice you are onto a new thing again and it can be very very addictive. So remember, Dopamine is the anticipation molecule and the only thing that matters to dopamine is to get more.

[00:09:10.050]

Having things totally uninteresting what truly matters is getting things. So when you are thinking about things you don't have yet, things that you can only desire, like the sports car you're going to drive when you finally become successful in trading that's when dopamine has more control than any other chemical in your brain. Think about it this way dopamine turns on the imagination producing visions of a rosy future. Because when we imagine things we want, we usually don't settle for mediocre. We tend to think about the best of the possible worlds and that makes the future more attractive.

[00:10:01.090]

But what you have to realize is that the future isn't real and it exists only in your mind. On the other hand, the present is real, it's experienced, not imagined the present moment. And that requires a different set of chemicals in your brain such as serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins they are called the here and now neurotransmitters as opposed to the pleasure of anticipations of dopamine. These chemicals give us pleasure from sensation and emotion. So if the future is wanting, the present is liking.

[00:10:51.330]

The feeling of wanting and feeling of liking are produced by two completely different systems in the brain. And for some people the switch from excitement about what you want to enjoyment of what you have can be very challenging. And we often don't like the things we have even though that's what we wanted. Take for example a relationship. Many people try to change their partner and when they finally succeed they don't like the way the partner is now.

[00:11:27.850]

Or in trading you really want your trade to go to your target price. Sometimes you pray if it only gets there but then when it gets there suddenly it's not good enough. And now you want it to go higher. Now you're not taking the profit, now you're greedy, now you want more. How many times did that mess up your good trade or turn a winner into a loser?

[00:11:52.470]

I mentioned before that the feeling of desire can be addictive and it happens when the dopamine desire circuits get overstimulated. Basically, addiction arises from the chemical cultivation of desire. And what I'm going to tell you next, hopefully will help you to find a little bit more compassion for yourself. Such addiction is a dopaminergic compulsion and it's not a sign of a weak character or a lack of willpower. So stop beating yourself up.

[00:12:32.690]

There is a chemical in your brain you're fighting against. The feeling of wanting becomes sometimes so overwhelming and all you want is to stop the unpleasant feeling of craving. That's what addiction is, regardless whether the wanted object is anything you really care for, whether it is good for you or might hurt you, it makes you behave like a man who carries around the rock all day because it feels so good when he puts it down. You might now start seeing some parallels of how you react in certain situations in your trading. In a trading environment, it is very easy to get overstimulated.

[00:13:16.570]

And dopamine is what fuels many traders uncontrolled behavior and losses. So if you think about your trading and look back at your day, you can probably pinpoint when you are operating from dopamine and when you are operating from here and now space. I talk a lot in my coaching about being in the moment and practicing staying in the present, because that's where dopamine has less effect on you and less control. So you can view dopamine as a trader's friend, but also as an enemy. So as a friend, it motivates you to come back every day and to seek profits and stay engaged in the markets.

[00:14:10.010]

But from the enemy perspective, yes, dopamine is responsible for your impulsive decisions and excessive risk taking. Think about it this way. The dopamine makes the work possible at all. Like if you have no dopamine, there is no effort. And you would just not be willing to work hard and come back every day and put your efforts into preparing, trading plan and spending hours in front of your screens flicking through charts.

[00:14:47.590]

The ability to put forth effort is dopaminergic and we need that. Dopamine is also giving you a confidence boost because we humans need to believe that we can actually succeed before we are able to succeed. Another thing that dopamine is serving as is a motivator, driving you to stay engaged in the markets. Motivation is very important for your progress. The anticipation of profits also help you to stay focused on your goals.

[00:15:27.610]

It gives you sort of positive reinforcement. Dopamine can also help traders cope with losses and provide them with a sense of optimism because it gives you this excitement about what you can achieve. It encourages you to persevere and adapt if you have taken some losses lately. But there is this other side of the coin where the dopamine is not so good for traders and it's causing impulsive behavior. You start showing impulsive behavior when you place too much value on immediate pleasure and not enough on long term consequences.

[00:16:14.570]

You probably have heard many traders talking about you have to focus on your process, you have to focus on the long term goals because otherwise you will be just chasing money. Desired dopamine overpowers the more rational parts of your brain. So we make choices that we know are not in our best interest, but then we feel powerless to resist. Speaking of the dopamine rush, the dopamine rush that you get from quick profits or unexpected profits that can lead to impulsive trading decisions. So you might start chasing trends or just completely throw your plan out the window and as a result lose a lot of money.

[00:17:10.570]

While dopamine can give you confidence, it can also give you overconfidence. Because if you have experienced recent successes, now you start to underestimate risk and you take larger positions than you should and you are risking substantial losses. Dopamine can also amplify the fear of losses and making traders reluctant to cut their losses. So you start holding your positions for longer than you should, hoping that it will turn around, leading to further losses. You maybe recall the situation if that happened ever to you, maybe it never happened to you.

[00:17:56.200]

I know it did happen to me and I would tell myself the story that it's going to come back. And not only that, the dopamine really helped me to make the story that I will even make a profit. Sometimes I would tell myself, you know what, if I add an average down, then when it turns around, I will make more money than I was originally intending. It basically makes you trade emotionally. You get the rush from quick profits, make impulsive trading decisions, and just completely lose track of any analysis and just click the buttons.

[00:18:39.190]

Now the emotional highs and lows that are associated with dopamine can totally cloud your judgment. And if you trade emotionally, you know what happens. Your performance is simply inconsistent. And if you have inconsistent performance, how can you expect consistent results, right? So begin with building awareness around your dopamine driven behavior.

[00:19:10.210]

Look at the situations that bring you in trouble and see if this was caused by you trying to think about a rosy future, how this trade, if you get in, is going to work out and give you big profit. Start noticing your emotional state when trading. So if you feel overly excited or anxious, that's when you can recognize that dopamine may be influencing your decisions. Take breaks. Try to regain rational perspective.

[00:19:51.010]

Just make for yourself a reminder that when you feel overconfident overexcited, just think dopamine I need to get back into the present moment, into the now. And you can do it your way. You can just close your eyes, maybe take few deep breaths, or simply take a walk. Make sure that you start writing down in your trading journal your decision. So just keep track of what made you to make a certain decision.

[00:20:24.190]

So if you have decided to get out earlier out of a trade, what made you do that? If it was getting into a trade too early, before you got your confirmation or your signal, what was your emotional state then? And start looking for patterns of impulsive and overconfident behavior that may be linked to Dopamine release. So remember this if you feel excited while you're trading, you're looking at the setup and all you can think of is potential profit. You might be now telling yourself the story that you rather talk yourself out of.

[00:21:10.700]

Notice the narrative in your head. Write it down. Make sure that you recognize are you acting out of Dopamine or are you acting out of here and now chemicals. As you see, Dopamine's role in trading is pretty complex and the Dopamine rush has both positive and negative aspects. And it is up to you whether you will make it your friend or enemy, because it depends on how you will manage and channel it.

[00:21:42.930]

Thank you for listening to the Confidence in Trading podcast. If you are enjoying my show and the topics I share here resonate with you, I would like to ask you to leave a review on Apple podcast and don't forget to hit that subscribe button as well so you can come back for the next episode. Your journey to becoming a confident trader is incredibly exciting and important to me and I am here to support you every step of the way. If you are interested in gathering more insights in trading psychology, be sure to visit aheadcoach.com and very soon I will be teaching Live Mindset Masterclass for Traders so you will be able to sign up for free. So connect with me on Twitter or Facebook.

[00:22:36.600]

You will find the links in the description under this episode and I really hope to seeing you there. I am Agnieszka Wood from Ahead Coach and I look forward to seeing you in the next episode. Bye for now.

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✉ Contact me: launchyourlife@aheadcoach.com

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