Monday, April 14, 2014

Treating the Mind by Minding the Body

A growing body of research suggests that physical activity brings both health and emotional benefits.  Indeed, exercise may help emotional health by increasing neurochemicals in the brain that help to buffer stress.  By reorganizing the brain, physical activity can help us become more effective in dealing with a variety of life demands, including those in financial markets.

Psychotherapy research suggests that change is most likely to occur when people undergo shifts in their states of awareness.  Staying our habitual frames of mind helps support our habitual behaviors.

What if one of the best ways to make those state shifts is shifting the body?

That can occur through meditation, through yoga movements, through Crossfit workouts, etc.

The idea is that giving your body fresh energy may fuel the mind's awareness by adding to emotional well-being.  

We can fill out trading journals, talk with coaches, and try the latest hot trading setups.  If we're sitting in a chair, hunched over a computer, however, we may be placing our bodies in the absolute worst position to energize the changes we're trying to make.

Further Reading:  Shifting Emotional Gears as a Trader