Dealing with a huge loss

Now I will follow-up my entry on dealing with a huge win with the tactics for dealing with the opposite extreme outcome, a huge loss. Huge losses ought not come from one trade, that is just senseless. However, sometimes the whole shit house goes up in flames and despite all your planning you lose big time. Here is how I deal with a huge loss.

Clean something. Cleaning can be a mindless task, yet some find meditation in dish washing. What I find in cleaning is the ability to flow between deep contemplation, where I am completing my cleaning task despite my mind being hard at work sorting through some mental gymnastics or psychological sore spot, to back meditative, where I am simply doing my task and thinking of nothing else.  Contemplative to meditative, and back again, over and over. Sorting an old junk drawer and throwing most of it away can be quite refreshing and mindful.

Sharpen the axes. There is always work on the farm. By farm I mean where ever you conduct your trade or business. I need things that take me away from the desire to trade for a few days. Nothing satisfies my intellectual mind like updating my statistical studies, which is something I do quarterly and even sometimes less often. I resharpen my algorithmic trade entry systems by refreshing all the data. I also sharpen actual cutting axes. And the knives in the kitchen. Now I am ready again for fast work.

Do something left-handed. This could be anything. If you are cleaning like some impulsive freak, you can switch to waxing the bleach onto your surfaces with the left, or vacuuming with the left. This helps keep your muscles and bones in balance so you don’t end up looking like Quasimodo in your fifties. I like skateboarding goofy. Nothing crazy. Just go out onto the nature walk and do some long, controlled, kick pushes. It does wonders for the mind.

Pull weeds.

Call an old relative or homie. Nothing provides perspective like talking to an old person, especially a foreigner. They’ll remind you what truly matters.

These are my methods of handling a huge loss. They have been developed over the years. A much younger and more eager Raul would sit and stare at the computer screens, worrying. Do you know what all that worrying added up to? Nothing but a few more greys in my beard.

What is your favorite method for dealing with a huge loss?