Vacation’s over, and it’s time to face reality!
Whether you spent the summer living your best life or binge-watching The Summer I Turned Pretty in your basement, the markets kept moving while you were checked out. And now you’re about to jump back in with all the grace of a belly flop.
Unfortunately, a lot of traders I’ve had conversations with find it hard to get back on the grind, especially after coming from a long vacation away from the markets.
Most of them are usually overwhelmed by all the events they have missed and let the stress get to them. A lot of times, they end up making trading mistakes due to a lack of preparation and self-confidence.
Here are some tips to help you with your post-summer trading:
1. Leave the vacation vibes behind
First things first – the markets don’t care about your tan or your viral summer TikToks. You need to switch from vacation mode to trading mode, and that means actually focusing.
Set aside a day to purge all that vacation energy. Post your content, then close those tabs. Your brain needs to be on the charts, not on the beach.
2. Catch up to the current market conditions
While you were disconnected, central banks made moves, earnings reports dropped, and some random tweet probably moved crypto 20%. Time to do your homework:
Don’t skim – actually read. The market has zero sympathy for the unprepared.
3. Make the necessary physical and mental preparations
For your physical prep, you can clear your desk, check your accounts (please tell me you didn’t leave positions open), and make sure your margin levels aren’t doing something weird
Your mental prep can include reviewing your trading journal, identifying your worst habits, and creating actual trading plans – and not the “buy low, sell high” concepts of a plan.
Here’s the truth: You’re rusty. Don’t swing for the fences on day one. Start with smaller positions and ease back in. Think of it like returning to the gym after the holidays – you don’t immediately try to deadlift a truck.
4. Prepare for changes in average volatility
All that big money that was chilling in the Hamptons? They’re back. The algo traders who were “working remotely”? Plugged back in. This means:
- Volatility can go from snooze to roller coaster real quick
- Summer ranges are about to break
- Volume’s picking up like Starbucks at 8 AM
- Correlations might flip faster than a politician’s promises
Don’t assume those sleepy August patterns will hold. Keep your stops tight and don’t bet the farm on anything. You can check out tools like MarketMilk if you need to know just how much average volatility for the majors has changed in the last few weeks.
Getting back into trading after a break is tricky, but not impossible. Take it slow, stay humble, and remember the market will still be there tomorrow. There’s no prize for losing money the fastest trying to make up for “lost time.”
Now stop reading and go check what time zone your trading platform is set to. You’d be surprised how many people mess that up.
Stay sharp!
