I know it’s all about the trade plan, letting it run, etc etc. but am I the only one who fidgets around when a trade is open trying to see where it’s currently at? 
I try to do other things and not check charts or heaven forbid, my actual trading account but whether you’re currently losing or winning, the temptation is too strong!
Do you guys just quit looking at anything related to trading or do you start looking at other setups you can possibly also trade? 
Hi, I use EA in my trading so I don’t have temptation 
Regards Greg
Depends on what I am doing but mostly just let it get on with it , and check at the end of the candle but as a bit of advise I would switch off the P&L and just trade the chart as the P&L will make you jump in & out to quick
You need to check on open positions. The timer interval should match the time frame you are trading.
Whatever that is (1h,4h,1Day,etc).
Personally, I trade on Daily candles. So I tend to check at start of day, and again at the end.
I wish I was that good! I have been trading for two months, mostly on DEMO, and I keep checking it even if I am trying a long term strategy. I will try to follow your advice!
Play Final Fantasy 
Ya. I know the feeling. But I found that unless you are trading super short term, there is really no benefit to sitting and staring at the screen.
Also. Demo is great and all for learning a brokers platform. But past that, I would recommend using some play money. Even $100-$200 bucks allows you to make small trades. Only risking a few dollars per trade will help to get more of a “feel” for how markets behave.
And if broker is scamming. You won’t be out too much.
My 2 cents
I think even if I use an EA I’d still be checking it tbh 
Yeah that’s probably what gets me. But even if I don’t look at my P&L, once I see the charts… 
See that’s the ideal plan but like most plans, it never happens for me
Animal Crossing it is then haha.
Truly there is none. It’s a really bad habit I need to get rid of! 
If I’m in a trend-following long-term forex trade I set my SL and these days also TP and forget it until I re-check after the close each day. At that point I can see whether the TA is still positive or has deteriorated so that I don’t want to be in this one any longer. If the TA’s still good, I leave the trade to run.
Same for Dow trades of the same format, though if its a really steady uptrend I try to pyramid these rather than set a TP.
What does pyramiding mean?
It means adding to the original trade, especially when the position is in a trend and is going the right way. In a great Dow uptrend I add another trade when the position reaches profit equal to the stop-loss risk, and then move the original stop to the second trade’s stop-loss price - so the risk remains the same but the profit potential is doubled.
The test of nerve is to keep doing this a third time, then a fourth etc. etc. I have once got up to seven.
So it’s kind of like doubling down on a trade? Well not double double but you know what I mean. Hmm ok let me look into that. I have one trade that’s “going the right way.” I might just experiment!
So when you add in a new trade, both trades will now have the same SL correct?
Yes. The newest trade has the same SL distance as each trade before it, but when its SL is set, all the earlier trades’ SL’s go to the same price.
This is an aggressive tactic and the risk is that you open a trade, add a second trade and then a third trade - at this point if price pulls back it will hit all 3 SL’s as they are all now at the same price and you will have run 3 trades for no profit. So its only good in a fantastic trend.
Does it have to be 3 trades to be considered pyramiding?
No, any extra trade or trades on top of the original position is pyramiding. Some people use progressively smaller position sizes, some use the same position size. The potential is amazing but trends strong and long enough to use the tactic are not common, so there are many losers and break-even trades.
I‘ve managed 2, that’s all the nerve I have. Typically, I stay away from the Dow because it can be pretty volatile, so if you’re not careful it can ruin your day pretty quickly.
I use pyramiding when I have the time to monitor the trade but I also take 75% profit before price retraces and I add to my position at the top of the retracement as price continues in the direction of the trade. I will also sometimes top it off with a large lot size to get the maximum out of the trade.
It takes some work to do this but the % gain makes it worth it, and risk is kept at a minimum.
Oops, forgot to respond to the primary question. LOL.
If I have time I like to watch the trade until I can move my SL to BE. Thereafter I’ll check all open positions about every 3 to 4 hours.
I agree with several points on this thread…
Turn off your P&L… I always know my risk so don’t need to see it ticking past it is very distracting and causes you to make emotional decisions.
Averaging in, out, up, down all make sense if you have a plan and stick to it. If done wrong it can cost you big in the case of averaging down. I’ve made a lot of extra $$$ without risking much by averaging up when I trade is going well. It really depends on the type of market moves and how much room you have to work with. I rarely put it all at BE, because it will almost always get stopped and then move in your direction. I’m okay risking my original amount for both open trades.
In regards to what I do while a trade is open… It really depends on the TF and what I’m trying to accomplish. If it’s a quick scalp I want to monitor it pretty close and possibly TP early if a big jump occurs in my direction. If it’s a longer term trade (big stop) then I’m not concerned at all about each tick and focus on finding other trades.
