SPY day trading strategy: When to stop?

It's the start of week 2 and we took two trades:

Trade #1: -14%
Trade #2: +45%

Solid day. This whole phase is about gathering information, seeing how the strategy behaves in different conditions, and building something that's both profitable and sustainable.

Inside our Zoom calls, we discuss about: When do we stop trading for the day?

We took our morning trades, got stopped out on one, finished the second one strong...And after 12PM EST we were done.

At 12:20PM , there was another opportunity, and I wasn't at my screen. I had already logged to go grab lunch and detach from the market.

And honestly...that feels great.

Because what we're aiming for here isn't a strategy that forces us to stare at the charts for 6 hours straight.

We're aiming for a strategy that fits into a real life. One that gives clarity, structure, and freedom.

Why We Stop Trading by 11:30 AM - 12 PM

This isn't about overtrading or being afraid of losses.

It's about protecting:

Our energy
Our mental clarity
Our long-term sustainability as a trader

Trading is already difficult as is. And being glued to the screen all day is a slow path toward emotional burnout.

And burned-out traders don't make good decisions.

So after discussing it as a group, we're aligned: 11:30-12PM is the cutoff.

If something sets up later, awesome. The market will still be here tomorrow.

Life > Market

Once the cutoff hits, go do something for yourself:

Gym
Walk your dog
Set up the Christmas tree
Church
Family time

The strategy shouldn't own your entire day. The whole point is freedom. Not more screen time...

What's Next

We're going to keep refining the strategy every day:

Logging trades
Testing entries
Reviewing exits
Getting cleaner with targets

But one rule is already locked in: If it's after 12 PM, we're done.

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TGE

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Thillaivel Ranganathan