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Welcome to the twelfth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged.

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PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Mapping the Winning Pathway - Part III
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D

What are the psycho-physiological elements that are most often associated with the ideal, internal psychological climate? When you are performing at your best what feelings are usually present? William Garfield, the author of "Peak Performance: The Mental Training Secrets of the Worlds Best Athletes", suggests that the ideal performance state occurs when the athlete, or trader, is able to bring on or induce the following feelings:

1. MENTALLY RELAXED - a feeling of inner calm with a high degree of concentration
   
2. PHYSICALLY RELAXED - a feeling that the muscles are loose with fluid, precise, sure movement
   
3. CONFIDENT AND OPTIMISTIC - a feeling of self confidence about being able to perform well
   
4. FOCUSED ON THE PRESENT - a feeling that actions are occurring automatically and effortlessly with no thoughts of past or future
   
5. HIGHLY ENERGIZED - feelings of joy, ecstasy, intensity and power
   
6. EXTRAORDINARY AWARENESS - acutely aware of the body and others around you
   
7. IN CONTROL - largely subconscious control with a sense of being able to automatically make all the right moves
   
8. IN THE "COCOON" - a feeling of being insulated from distraction, anxiety or fear
   

   ---

Have you ever experienced any or all of these feeling states while trading? Do you think having these feelings present would help you to perform at your best? You can learn to bring on or orchestrate these and/or other feelings that are associated with your own best performance. Learning how to do this is at the center of most effective mental training programs. My next article will talk about how you can begin to master the skill of Voluntary Relaxation.

For a free set of affirmations designed to help you learn how to bring on those feeling states most often associated with your own best performance click here.

©Copyright 2001, Sierra Center for Peak Performance

Free Tapes |Free Affirmations| Ask Dr. Relax |Subscribe | Subliminal | Ordering|New Site!

Welcome to the thirteenth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

To continue our examination of the ideal psychological state, I am pleased to offer a two part article by Sport Psychology Consultant, Karlene Sugarman. Karlene has a recently published a book  about human performance and I encourage you to pick up a copy.

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Playing "In The Zone" (Part 1)
by Karlene Sugarman, M.A.
Sport Psychology Consultant

In the flow, in a grove, on a roll, in the zone - whatever you call it, it's all defining one thing. It's that special feeling of playing like you can do no wrong and everything goes your way. You are so involved in what you are doing that nothing else seems to matter. When former Boston Celtic star Bill Russell characterizes being in the zone he says it is, "a moment when everything goes so perfectly that you slip into a gear that you didn't even know was there" (Greider, 1991, p. 17). Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to happen enough of the time. In fact, every time it does happen, it is usually by chance; you took no real active part in it. It just happened to be a day when everything fell into place, clicked for you, and you were "in the zone." Hopefully this occurrence will motivate you to do everything you can to have more peak performances.

Since this is where we want to be - performing at a peak level more times than not, and not just by chance, you need to realize that you have control over whether this happens once in a career or more often. Baseball player Gary Carter describes it this way, "I think I could come to home plate, stand on my head, and still get a hit when I'm feeling like this" (Dorfman & Kuehl, 1991, p. 24). That sense of invincibility is vital because that complete confidence is what makes your body relaxed and your mind clear so that you can be in the flow.

By implementing mental training skills, having a strong work ethic and being motivated to constantly improve, you can increase the chances of this transpiring on a more consistent basis. Being in the zone means doing more than anyone else thought possible, even superseding your own expectations at times. This zone is the definitive reason why many people are motivated to participate in sports.

Think about a time when you were in the zone. It's the time when everything came together for you - it was exactly the kind of performance that you'd like to repeat over and over again. There was just a flow from beginning to end. "I'm in this quiet zone, I don't hear anything, and it enables me to use my inner peace and strength to go out and play," says former San Francisco 49er Defensive Back Marquez Pope.

Peak performers have a strong sense of mission, enjoy the challenge, have the ability to stay focused on the goals and have unwavering confidence in themselves. What sets them apart is their burning commitment to themselves, their teammates and their goals. Peak performers in any arena, business or sports, are devoted to doing the best job possible.

Copyright © 1999 by Karlene Sugarman

©Copyright 2001, Sierra Center for Peak Performance

Free Tapes |Free Affirmations| Ask Dr. Relax |Subscribe | Subliminal | Ordering|New Site!

Welcome to the fourteenth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

This is the second of a two part article by Sport Psychology Consultant, Karlene Sugarman. It is a continuation of our examination of the ideal psychological state.  Karlene has a recently published a book  about human performance and I encourage you to pick up a copy.

To be removed from this mailing list, please click here.

Playing "In The Zone" (Part 2)
by Karlene Sugarman, M.A.
Sport Psychology Consultant

Whether you're the one playing in the zone, or watching another athlete or team, you'll notice these characteristics are usually present:

1. Relaxed - The days of getting psyched up to play are over, the best performances occur when you are just slightly above your normal state of arousal, not at either extreme as once thought. You are energized, yet relaxed - it's a subtle balance of quiet intensity. Your mind is calm and your body is ready to go. You feel relaxed, but you are able to move with great strength and ease.

2. Confident - You feel confident that no matter what you are up against, you're going to come out on top. You just exude with confidence and pride, and it's evident in your performance. There is no fear. You expect to be successful, not hope or wish to be successful. You have complete faith in your abilities.

3. Completely focused - You are totally absorbed in the moment. You have no memory of the past and no qualms about the future. The only thing you are concentrating on is the task at hand. You're oblivious to everything else going on around you, consumed by the moment, and nothing outside can effect you. You have no real sense of time, and before you know it, the game is over. It seems to have flown by, yet everything you did seemed to happen in a slowed-down pace with great precision and concentration. Having the ability to stay in the moment is a gift that all of peak performers have.

4. Effortless - Things just sort of happen with little or no effort whatsoever. You are in a state of mind and body where you can accomplish great things with little effort. The grace and ease that you display make everything you do seem like the simplest task in the world. You have a sense of finesse and grace, even when the task is very grueling and demanding.

5. Automatic - There is no interference from your thoughts or emotions. Things are just happening, both without protest and without consent. You are on auto pilot - just reacting to whatever comes your way. Your body just seems to know what to do without any directive from you. There is no conscious thought; you're going strictly on your instincts.

6. Fun - When you're in the flow, the enjoyment is incomparable to anything else. Anyone can see in your eyes the satisfaction and fulfillment the sport gives you. This is a key factor because if you don't enjoy your sport, your future in it will be limited.

7. In Control - You feel that no matter what, you are in control. What you think and want to happen will. You have ultimate command over your emotions as well - you are controlling them, not the other way around. You govern your own destiny. When you feel this strong of a command over your game, great things are sure to happen.

To be successful in sports you need to have your mind and body working with one another in perfect unison. If you are able to do this then you will experience the characteristics above and you too will be playing "in the zone."

Copyright © 1999 by Karlene Sugarman

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Welcome to the fifteenth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

To be removed from this mailing list, please click here.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Two Keys to Trading in "The Zone"
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

Research and experience has proven that structured scientific mental training can help you to improve your ability to voluntarily enter the Zone. Voluntary Relaxation and Visual Rehearsal are the basic skills that must be developed if entering the Zone "on command" is to be effectively achieved.

Voluntary Relaxation is the ability to consciously calm the mind and body. Almost everyone would agree that the muscles of the body are more able to perform at their best when they are relaxed and that the mind can perform at its best when it is calm.

You can train your body and mind to be more relaxed in response to predetermined cues given by you. You can then give these cues in any circumstance and, as a result of the increase in relaxation and concentration that will naturally occur, you will be more likely to be at your best both mentally and physically. The physical and mental mastery that is developed will greatly increase your ability to induce the Zone and more consistently perform at the top of your potential.

Visual Rehearsal is the ability to produce and creatively manipulate mental images of your own performance. When you rehearse properly in the theater of your mind you multiply your practice time. This is very important because:

ONLY PERFECT PRACTICE LEADS TO CONSISTENT
PERFORMANCE THAT APPROACHES PERFECTION!

The theater of your mind is the only place where you can practice perfectly every time. When you visually rehearse and you see yourself being successful you also build confidence and poise and prepare yourself mentally for the real-life, situation.

You can learn Voluntary Relaxation skills through several different methods. biofeedback, Transcendental Meditation, Hypnosis and Guided Imagery are just a few of the many techniques that can be used. My personal and professional preference is to teach relaxation skills through the use of Guided Imagery.

I prefer Guided Imagery because Visual Rehearsal skills can very easily be integrated into the process of relaxation training. Guided Imagery can be defined as the verbal presentation of scenes or images. It is very much like having a pleasant and sensory-rich, word-picture painted for you by another person. A good analogy that most of us can easily identify with is the experience of having stories read to us when we were children.

Regardless of how you learn the skill of Voluntary Relaxation it is clear that to enter the Zone at will you must first master relaxation. If you have questions about Voluntary Relaxation and/or Visual Rehearsal please consider using a feature of the web site called "Ask Dr. Relax."

Just go to here and ask your question. 

©Copyright 2001, Sierra Center for Peak Performance

Welcome to the sixteenth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

To be removed from this mailing list, please click here.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
The Relaxation-Energy Relationship and "The Zone"
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

Most of the current research and experiential evidence seems to suggest that being in the Zone and performing at your best is, in part, a direct result of being able to balance your internal levels of relaxation and energy. The relationship between energy level and performance has often been described graphically in terms of an inverted-U or a bell-shaped curve. As energy increases from very relaxed to a state of heightened alertness, or arousal, there is a progressive increase in performance. Once energy levels move beyond the optimal, moderate level there is a very rapid fall off in performance. The figure below is an attempt to illustrate this relationship:

When your energy level is too low performance tends to be poor. When your energy level is too high performance is also depressed. But when energy and relaxation levels are moderate, or balanced, you more easily enter the Zone and optimal or peak performance is far more likely to occur.

What is the practical application of this information? In general, to enter the Zone and perform at your best you should seek to balance energy and relaxation so that you are not too relaxed and not too energized. You should also develop the ability to regulate your level of energy because different levels of energy are required at different times during your trading day. For example, the energy needed to read indicators prior to the markets opening is different than the level of energy needed for peak performance when taking signals or pulling the trigger.

If you seek to consistently enter the Zone and perform at the upper range of your potential you must learn to regulate your level of energy and relaxation so that you can keep yourself firmly balanced between low relaxation and high energy. The Mental Training Programs offered by the Sierra Center for Peak Performance guarantees your success at learning this vital skill.

©Copyright 2001, Sierra Center for Peak Performance

Welcome to the seventeenth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

To be removed from this mailing list, please click here.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
ESTABLISHING A MENTAL, PRE-OPENING BELL ROUTINE
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

Getting into "The Zone" on a consistent basis is greatly facilitated by the development of a pre-trading routine. Most traders establish pre-trading routines, or rituals, either by chance, habit or intent . Most of these routines include both physical and nutritional elements. Few, however, develop and use psychological pre-competition routines that are structured, scientific and effective.

If you want to trade more consistently near the top of your potential, you must develop and implement a comprehensive pre-trading routine that includes preparation in physical, nutritional and psychological areas. The basic elements of a good mental routine that will help you to be mentally well prepared to perform at your best are:

• Energy/Arousal Monitoring and Control
• Mental Rehearsal
• Attitude Enrichment
• A Predominance of Process Thinking

Energy/Arousal Monitoring and Control - by mastering the skills of Voluntary Relaxation you will gain the ability to adjust your level of relaxation and find that balance of relaxation and energy that is most conducive to your own best performance. You will also be able to direct relaxation to those parts of the body that may be tense or tight.

Mental Rehearsal - mentally rehearsing the trading day that is about to begin is an excellent way to keep your mind on the process of performing well, reinforcing the expectation of a good performance and of "priming" the same neuromuscular pathways that you will use when you trade.

Attitude Enrichment - saying your affirmations aloud, reading them to yourself and listening to your Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape or CD are all outstanding ways of maintaining a positive attitude, blocking out negative thoughts and reinforcing positive expectations.

A Predominance of Process Thinking - keeping your mind focused on the process of trading well helps to avoid distraction and the deadly sin of Outcome Thinking. Outcome thinking is particularly damaging because it takes your mind off those things that you must do to perform well. Outcome thinking must often leads to "Choking" or the inability to pull the trigger.

My next article will help you to begin to construct an effective Psychological Pre-Competition Routine.

Welcome to the eighteenth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

To be removed from this mailing list, please click here.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal tape for this time period is Price.

Price has 48 hours to claim the Personalized Subliminal Tape.

Getting into "The Zone" on a consistent basis is greatly facilitated by the development of a pre-trading routine. The following is an excerpt from the first segment of a three part routine that was designed for a client. The Performance Visualization presented below is based upon the client's narrative of their daily routine prior to enrolling in the Mental Strength Training Program for Traders. Subsequent issues of this newsletter will review other excepts from the entire, personalized routine.

You wake up naturally, without any alarms, at the break of dawn. You feel very refreshed and rejuvenated from a greats nights sleep. You used one of your relaxation images last night before going to be and as a result you slept very well and gave your body the opportunity to rest and recover completely. This morning you're feeling so good...so calm...so focused...so confident and ready to meet all the challenges of the trading day ahead.

Without getting out of bed you reach over to the nightstand, turn on the light and pick up your affirmations. You take three deep, belly breaths and then begin to read your affirmations out loud...and as you do you begin to feel the level of your confidence, optimism, energy and motivation growing even stronger. It feels so good...it feels so natural to be so focused...so positive...so relaxed and yet so highly energized and so much in control. You close your eyes for a moment and rehearse the trading day, as you would like it to unfold. Your visualization of the perfect trading day ahead emphasizes staying in the moment, maintaining your focus on the process of trading well, taking all signals and pulling the trigger. As you end your mental rehearsal and begin the countdown, you smile to yourself in anticipation of the joys this day will bring.

You get out of bed and begin your active morning routine. You turn on your subliminal and allow it to play in the background while stretching and awakening your body as you get up, brush your teeth, wash your face, and say "Good Morning" to yourself.

Can you see how Energy/Arousal Monitoring and Control, Mental Rehearsal, Attitude Enrichment and Process Thinking are all incorporated into this preliminary portion of the pre-trading routine?

Do you have an effective, productive pre-trading routine? Don't you think a good routine would improve your chances to more consistently trade in the Zone? Enroll in the program now by clicking here.

©Copyright 2001, Sierra Center for Peak Performance

Free Tapes |Free Affirmations| Ask Dr. Relax |Subscribe | Subliminal | Ordering|New Site!

Welcome to the nineteenth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

To be removed from this mailing list, please click here.

The following suggestions are excepts from the case notes of my on-going work with a trader. They are offered to help demonstrate how you can integrate a Mental Pre-Opening Bell Routine into your present preparations for the trading day. These suggestions were offered after the trader had mastered the basic skills of Voluntary Relaxation, Mental Rehearsal and Attitude Enrichment.

Getting into the "Zone" is the result of practice and effort and requires that you remember to consistently do the following:

I. Voluntary Relaxation - take deep, diaphragmatic ("Belly") breaths frequently even if you don't feel nervous. (In through the nose as you force your stomach out, hold your breath for a slow count of five, then exhale slowly through your mouth) Deep breathing is particularly important in challenging situations and just prior to pulling the trigger.

II. Mental Rehearsal - mentally rehearse important segments of every day before the market opens. Mentally Rehearse your "Perfect Trading Day Image" at least three times each week. Always see yourself performing key tasks flawlessly and allow yourself to feel the satisfaction of success.

III. Attitude Enrichment - say your affirmations aloud at least once before the opening bell. Play your subliminal music, in the background, as much as possible during the trading day. When doubt or a negative thought occurs use Thought-Stopping:

1. Say "STOP!" aloud and emphatically if circumstances permit
   

2. Take a deep, diaphragmatic breath
   

3. Say a positive affirmation that is the opposite of the negative thought.
   

4. If you can, take a break from what you were doing when the negative thought or self-talk occurred.

IV. Process Thinking - Put you mind on the Process of trading well and avoid thinking about Outcome. If Outcome thoughts occur use Thought-Stopping to eliminate them.

USE YOUR MENTAL ROUTINE BEFORE EVERY TRADING DAY!

Welcome to the twentieth issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

To be removed from this mailing list, please click here.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
The Ideal Internal Climate for Trading
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

The more we understand the complex interrelationship between mind and body the more it becomes clear that in order to perform at our best mentally we must properly prepare and use both body and mind. While most of use would agree that preparing and using the mind is an important part of successful trading, few of us know where to begin or what elements are most important. James Loehr, psychologist and founder of the Center for Athletic Excellence, compiled information from a large cross section of peak performers in a variety of sports and developed what I consider to be the "Axioms of Mental Training". These seven basic and generally accepted principles of structured, scientific psychological preparation provide an ideal starting place for those of us who want to understand how to use all of our resources to be our very best. Loehr used both oral and written interviews and determined that:

1. An ideal internal psychological climate exists for every person.

2. When a person feels right - performance is right.

3. The level of performance is a direct reflection of the way one feels inside.

4. Performing towards the upper range of one's potential is a natural consequence of the right kind of internal feeling occurring at the right time.

5. The elements of an ideal performance state are fundamentally the same for all people.

6. The ideal performance state is most accurately described in terms of specific states of feeling experienced by individual performers.

7. Competitive toughness is essentially the ability to create and sustain the ideal performance state regardless of the circumstances of play.

One of the most direct ways of beginning to define your own ideal psychological climate is to use the power of your memory and imagination. I suggest that you do the following exercise in a darkened, quite room that is free from distractions and interruptions and has a comfortable place to recline or sit.

1. While reclining, or sitting comfortably with you head and neck supported, close your eyes and take three, deep, relaxing, diaphragmatic breaths - inhale very slowly through your nose to a slow count of six ("1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6") as you force your diaphragm down and your stomach out. Hold your breath for a slow count of four and then exhale slowly through your mouth for a slow count of six while drawing your diaphragm and stomach back in and up. (This sequence of actions is a natural trigger for the Relaxation Response.)
   
2. Allow your mind to drift back to the most recent time when you performed near the top of your potential and everything seemed to be just right.
   
3. See yourself and feel yourself performing again. Try to remember what you were wearing, where you were, who was present, what odors were present, what taste you had in your mouth, what you saw, what you heard, what you felt with you hands, feet or other body parts and the emotions that you experienced.
   
4. When the "Mind Movie" of you performing at your best is clear, open your eyes, turn up the lights and write down as many of the feelings or emotions from that time that you can recall.

The list that you develop in this way will provide your first draft of what elements make up your own ideal, internal psychological climate. Once you have defined the elements that are present when you perform at your best you can then look for ways to generate, replicate, orchestrate and encourage those elements each time you trade. Future articles will contain suggestions on how this can be accomplished.

Have you discovered what your ideal internal climate is for trading? If not click here and send me an email message with "MY IDEAL INTERNAL CLIMATE FOR TRADING" in the heading. Together we will work to establish what your ideal internal state is and how to consistently achieve it.

©Copyright 2001, Sierra Center for Peak Performance

Free Tapes |Free Affirmations| Ask Dr. Relax |Subscribe | Subliminal | Ordering | Alternate Site

*Published in November 2001 in response to the tragedy of 9/11/01

Welcome to the twenty first issue of the free newsletter of Applied Trading Psychology. Members of this mailing list are automatically entered in a bimonthly drawing for a free Personalized Subliminal Reinforcement Tape from the Sierra Center for Peak Performance.

It is our intention to provide short, easily read articles on Applied Trading Psychology to a select list of persons with an expressed interest in the psychological aspects of trading. We hope to encourage an exchange of ideas and we seek to expand understanding of the basic concepts of Applied Trading Psychology among those persons with a desire to enhance professional performance with appropriate and responsible techniques and methods. Your comments, suggestions and questions are strongly encouraged. 

To be removed from this mailing list, please click here.

What are the psycho-physiological elements that are most often associated with the ideal, internal psychological climate? When you are performing at your best what feelings are usually present? William Garfield, the author of "Peak Performance: The Mental Training Secrets of the Worlds Best Athletes", suggests that the ideal performance state occurs when the person is able to bring on or induce the following feelings:

1. MENTALLY RELAXED - a feeling of inner calm with a high degree of concentration

2. PHYSICALLY RELAXED - a feeling that the muscles are loose with fluid, precise, sure movement

3. CONFIDENT AND OPTIMISTIC - a feeling of self confidence about being able to perform well

4. FOCUSED ON THE PRESENT - a feeling that actions are occurring automatically and effortlessly with no thoughts of past or future

5. HIGHLY ENERGIZED - feelings of joy, ecstasy, intensity and power

6. EXTRAORDINARY AWARENESS - acutely aware of the body and others around you

7. IN CONTROL - largely subconscious control with a sense of being able to automatically make all the right moves

8. IN THE "COCOON" - a feeling of being insulated from distraction, anxiety or fear

   ---

Have you ever experienced any or all of these feeling states while trading? Do you think having these feelings present would help you to perform at your best? You can learn to bring on or orchestrate these and/or other feelings that are associated with your own best performance. Learning how to do this is at the center of most effective mental training programs. My next article will talk about how you can begin to master the skill of Voluntary Relaxation.

For a free set of affirmations designed to help you learn how to bring on those feeling states most often associated with your own best performance click here.

©Copyright 2001, Sierra Center for Peak Performance

Free Tapes |Free Affirmations| Ask Dr. Relax |Subscribe | Subliminal | Ordering | Alternate Site

*Published in December 2001