Professor, trader and author Brett Steenbarger, one of the main experts on Trading psychology and Trader Performance (see our interview with him here), just announced he will speak at a Free Interactive Webinar on Trader Performance

• “During the Webinar, I will summarize and elaborate basic ideas from my book and also introduce new ideas developed and applied since the book’s publication. A unique feature of the session will be a participant Q&A moderated by Steve.” (Steven Buss, a member of the NeoTicker forum)

He recently wrote a great post on My Favorite Techniques for Overcoming Performance Anxiety in Trading, including a wonderful technique (see article to read the full description)

• “Of late, I’ve been making use of heart rate variability feedback through the Freeze-Framer program, which offers a nice graphical interface to help users track their progress and visually determine whether or not they’re in “the zone”.
• “Once the trader becomes adept at this, I then add a second component to the exercise: The trader must vividly visualize a mildly anxiety-producing trading situation while hooked up to the biofeedback and maintaining the calm focus. Once the trader can repeatedly visualize this low-anxiety situation and sustain “the zone” on the biofeedback readout, we then move to a second, higher-level anxiety scenario. Often it’s helpful to…”

You can learn more about Enhancing Trader Performance and The Psychology of Trading: Interview with Brett N. Steenbarger. Some key take-aways from our interview:

• Elite performers in any highly-competitive field follow structured learning and training processes to develop their skills, ensuring continuous feedback and refinement.
• Traders would benefit to following this example. Tools at their disposal include books, simulation programs, biofeedback programs for emotional management, and coaches.
• Specific skills to train are brain speed and working memory (for short-term traders), analytical skills (long-term
• ones). For both, managing emotional-driven impulsive behavior.

Here you have a related post on Best practice for top trading performance: biofeedback, and here a visual example of Emotional self-regulation through biofeedback.

Finally, a reminder that the Freeze-Framer system is now called emWave.