There is a common belief in trading that successful traders can completely remove emotion. Calm, detached, and unaffected by what is happening in the market. Many traders say something similar at some point. If they could just switch their emotions off, they would be more consistent.
In practice, the opposite is often true. Trying to suppress emotions can make trading performance less stable, not more. The issue is not emotions itself, it is how those emotions are handled.
What Happens When Emotions Are Suppressed?
Emotions act as signals. They provide information about how you are responding to what is happening around you. When those signals are ignored or pushed aside, they do not disappear. They tend to build in the background.
Over time, that pressure often shows up in behaviour, for example:
- Revenge trading
- Strong reactions to losses
- Hesitation during valid setups
- Avoiding trades altogether
In other words, emotional suppression tends to affect execution, even if it is not immediately obvious.
Suppression and Stress
There is also a physiological aspect to this. Research published in The Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that suppressing emotions can increase stress responses in the body. This includes elevated cortisol levels and changes in heart rate variability.
From a practical perspective, this means the nervous system becomes more sensitive to perceived threat. When that happens, it becomes harder to access clear, analytical thinking. Decision-making becomes more reactive, which is not ideal in a trading environment.
Why Traders Suppress Emotions
Many traders are not taught how to work with emotions. Instead, they are often encouraged to ignore them. Common advice includes:
- Detach from outcomes
- Do not be emotional
- Focus on discipline over feelings
As a result, when emotions such as fear, frustration, or anxiety appear, they are often seen as a problem. The natural response is to push them down.
However, this can create internal tension. A trader may feel one thing, but believe they should feel something else. That conflict can make consistent decision-making more difficult.
A More Effective Approach
The goal is not to remove emotion, but to understand and manage it. Here are some practical steps.
- Identify the Emotion
Research from Dr Matthew Lieberman at UCLA suggests that simply labelling an emotion can reduce activity in the brain’s threat centres and increase activity in areas associated with reasoning.
In practice, this means being specific about what you are feeling. For example:
- “I feel anxious after that loss.”
- “I feel frustrated because I did not follow my plan.”
This creates awareness and reduces reactivity.
- Understand What Is Driving It
Emotions are usually connected to underlying beliefs or expectations.
Fear of loss may relate to concerns about security or self-worth. Frustration may come from expectations not being met. Hesitation may be linked to previous negative experiences.
By identifying what sits underneath the emotion, it becomes easier to understand your reactions.
- Process Rather Than Suppress
Instead of trying to ignore emotions, it is more effective to work through them. This might include:
- Breathing exercises
- Writing down thoughts and reactions
- Physical movement to release tension
- Mental rehearsal of how you want to respond in future situations
A more regulated nervous system makes consistent execution easier.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Traders who manage emotions well are not emotionless. They still experience fear, frustration, and pressure. The difference is in how they respond. They recognise what they are feeling, but do not act impulsively because of it. They are able to return to their process more quickly after a setback.
Over time, this leads to more stable and consistent behaviour.
Conclusion
Emotions are part of trading. They are not something that can, or should, be removed entirely. The key is learning how to respond to them effectively.
When emotions are understood and managed, rather than suppressed, decision-making tends to improve. Trading becomes more consistent and less reactive.
If this is something you would like to work on, feel free to send me an email.
_____
Adrian Leach – [email protected]
Senior Mindset Coach | Samuel & Co Trading
Helping traders improve consistency through emotional awareness and structured decision-making
