Overtrading is usually boredom wearing a disguise

[Amanhasnoname]

Quiet markets create restlessness. No setups appear, the screen is still, and the mind wants action. Marginal trades start to look attractive just to fill the silence.

Those trades usually come with poor odds. Spreads are wide relative to ranges, follow-through is weak, and the edge is small or absent. They cost money, and they erode discipline.

Recognising the feeling helps. The urge to trade without a clear signal is a sign to do something else. Reading, walking, or reviewing old trades are all better uses of the time.

A rule that requires writing down the setup before entering, even briefly, filters out many boredom trades. If the reason cannot be stated in a sentence, the trade does not happen.

Counting trades per session and comparing them with the number of valid setups often shows a gap. The extra trades are the ones to eliminate.

What does boredom trading look like, and what has worked to stop it?