How to anticipate to trend becoming non-directional and vice versa?

Hi guys,

Currently I am paper trading a trend-based strategy that goes fine as long as there is a clear trend.
As soon as the trend becomes a ‘bumpy road’, going into a wobbly non-directional state, my strategy is ‘out of sync’ with the charts and I am facing losses.

  • Is there any way to estimate if a trend is up for reversal vs going into non-directionality, or you can estimate if a bumpy road is likely to breakout versus forming another ‘bump’ in the road?
    I know there is never a way to 100% sure say if a trend or balance will be formed, but it would help to know if for example there is e.g. some certainty on waves in which currency indices move.
  • For example: is there something like ‘USD index tends to move on average 2 weeks in directional way, then halting for about 2 weeks’…
  • For those of you who trade a trend-based strategy, do you just stay out when indices show no clear directionality?

Many thanks in advance!