I just couldn’t figure it out!
My husband and I have a routine around staying hydrated. Each night, we fill up a large water filter so that we’ve got fresh water ready to go the next day. We both use a brand called LifeStraw — highly recommend it..
I usually handle the refills, and when I do, the filtered water always comes out just under room temperature, just like you'd expect.
But when my husband refills it? Sometimes the water ends up warm — and not in a good way.
At first, I couldn’t figure it out. I knew he wasn’t intentionally using hot water. But something was off.
Then it clicked.
I realized that he was usually refilling the pitcher right after I had just finished doing the dishes. And when I do dishes, I crank the water all the way to hot, like any sane person wanting to eradicate dirt and germs
My husband switches the tap to cold before filling the filter – but that leftover heat in the pipes needs a few seconds to flush out. So he ends up capturing that transition — and filling the filter with warm water. 100% do not recommend. 🙂
It only takes a few seconds to reset the faucet — but if you skip that step, you get stuck with something you didn’t mean to drink.
Same goes for trading.
Reset After a Win
One of the most underestimated times to pause in your trading is right after a winning trade.
This is especially true if you tend to feel a noticeable boost of confidence after a win — so much so that you jump right into a new trade without following your plan.
I’ve experienced that myself, so I’ve built in a micro-reset: a 30-second break.
That’s it — just two 15-second bars on my chart. Enough to breathe, step away from the glow of the last trade, and come back to evaluate the next setup with fresh eyes.
A tiny pause can keep momentum from turning into overconfidence.
Reset After a Loss (The Right Kind)
Now, let’s talk losses.
There are two kinds of trading losses — and how you reset depends on which kind you just experienced.
The first kind is just part of the business. You followed your plan, set your protective stop, and the market moved against your position. It happens. Maybe it was a news event creating a data spike, maybe just market rhythm.
These losses don’t require a full reset — as long as you know in your gut: “Yep, I did what I was supposed to do.”
You can take a breath and keep going.
Reset After a Mistake (The Other Kind)
But then there’s the other kind of trading loss.
This is the one that wasn’t part of the plan.
Maybe you used a strategy you haven’t practiced enough yet and hadn’t formally incorporated into your plan. Maybe your setup criteria were fuzzy. Maybe you got spooked or excited and acted on emotion.
When that kind of trade turns into a loss, a real reset is non-negotiable.
Don’t brush it off.
You need to pause long enough to ask, clearly and honestly: Why did I take that trade?
Because if you don’t, you’re setting yourself up to pay for that same lesson again later.
And that’s not a learning curve — that’s tuition without the education.
Build Your Reset Into the Plan
Just like it only takes a few seconds for the kitchen tap water to turn cold again — if you let it — the same applies in trading.
A reset doesn’t have to be long. But it does have to be intentional.
Whether it’s 30 seconds after a win, or 10 minutes and a journal entry after a plan-breaking loss… build it into your strategy.
Bake it in.
Make the reset part of your routine — something you do without question, every time it’s needed.
So you don’t end up in hot water in your trading!
💬 What about you?
How do you reset after a trade — win or lose?
Drop a comment below and reflect in your trading journal — don’t skip the reset.
If you want more on this idea, check out this post on The Power of the Pause — it’s a quick but powerful read on why even a few seconds of stillness can change your trading mindset.
~Hima
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