Make no mistake, I love the fall and I think it is absolutely beautiful.
Problem is, it can be very challenging from an emotional standpoint though, making it difficult to stay positive, to keep momentum.
It can also get downright depressing (which is counterproductive for sure, especially for traders).
Besides having the summer vacation season over and now it’s just back to grind, an interesting phenomenon occurs that few seem to notice with regards to its personal impact.
During this time of year, the days get shorter.
Less daytime has a significant effect on humans, as we are definitely creatures that need sunshine and light.
It gets even worse when the switch is made back to Standard time from Daylight savings.
Instead of it staying light until 8:30 or 9:00 o’clock, it seems like ‘that quick’ it’s getting dark at 5:30.
I watch it happen every year.
People tend to be more moody than at other times.
Tempers can be much shorter too.
And most people don’t recognize the primary contributor to them feeling this way.
The good news
If you are feeling a bit down, first thing is to acknowledge your feelings.
Second, rather than just get caught up in the mood of the moment, observe your feelings and yourself.
Third, don’t resist your feeling this way (however you feel at any given time). Simply allow it and understand that the mood will pass, so you can be at peace even if a particular emotion is stirring within you.
Recognize that you are not your feelings, and regardless of what may be going on around you, you can still be at peace, that the outer world does not control you.
The reason you feel upset at any given time is NOT because of the world nor anything in it.
Your upset comes from what you expect or demand from the world, based on your ego’s thoughts of ‘how things are supposed to be’ which is based on reflections of the past or the imagined future (neither of which exist right now).
If you have a genuine problem in front of you, deal with it.
If it’s not in front of you at this moment, then it is your mind making you upset, not reality.
Awareness and becoming more conscious of the truths of things often will diffuse a negative mood.
Plus it’s also just good to step outside as often as possible during the daylight hours, return to nature for a few minutes and away from our mechanized, man-made world.
I hope this helps!
Cheers
Brian
P.S. Another way to fight off depression is to have something constructive on which to focus and stay mentally busy, plus get results.
