Getting up between trades: a timer routine

[FXS London Scalper]

Long sessions at the screen tend to bring back pain and slower reactions late in the morning. A timer is a low-tech fix worth trying.

A simple version:

• Set a timer for 25 minutes when no trade is open.
• When it rings, stand up, walk, drink water, look out of a window for two minutes.
• If a trade is open, the break waits until it closes.
• No phone during the break. Checking charts on the phone isn't a break.

Why it helps traders specifically: many bad trades come from boredom in quiet periods, not from setups. A short break interrupts the urge to force a trade, and you come back to the chart with fresh eyes.

How to tell if it works: tag trades taken within ten minutes after a break and compare them with trades taken after long uninterrupted stretches. Also note how you feel at 11:00 on break days versus non-break days. Two weeks of tags is enough for a first impression.

Some traders use a standing desk for the same reason. Movement seems to matter more than the furniture.

What do you do to stay sharp through a long session?