If you are trading sports , placing in-play bets or both, the best way to do it is with a clear head and free of distractions.

Having a clear mind will help you make better decisions and this can be the difference between long term profits or being a losing punter. Here are a few ways you can limit your distractions when you are trading.

 Set A Defined Time For Trading

It would make sense to dedicate a specific time for trading as this means it is then less likely that your mind will wander. Sometimes you can be easily distracted if you are not fully focused but setting a definitive “work time” will help prevent this. When Sports trading this should be easy enough since you will only be trading certain events so this will be your “defined time”. This could be the length of a football or Tennis match, or maybe longer if you want to trade an afternoon of horse racing or a day of cricket. Either way, you should define when your time for trading will happen and be sure that no other distractions get in the way.

 Clear Trading Area Of Distractions

It is very important that you clear all potential distractions away from your immediate trading area. One of the biggest distractions is your phone and it is probably for the best if you just turn it off or hide it away somewhere. Just having it on your desk and telling yourself you wont touch it leaves too much potential temptation to glance at it when there is a quiet period and before you know it you have been sucked into a conversation and missed an important moment. Other potential distractions can be books, magazines and newspapers. They might be there and seem harmless but if things go quiet you might get sucked in to having a “quick look” which can be a recipe for disaster.

Close All Unneeded tabs On Browser

Clearing your immediate area of physical distractions is important but it is probably even more important to get rid of the digital distractions. When you are trading sports or betting in-play then you should only have your Betfair or bookmaker screen up along with a statistics website for quick research. Having tabs up like Facebook or Amazon can be just too tempting for some people. You might want a quick look to kill a few moments but these websites are designed to suck you in and keep you on there so that quick look ends up in a few hours! The only exception to this might be having a Twitter feed open as Twitter can actually be a useful tool for spotting opportunities if you follow the right people. (Hint: Follow Us @FollowStl 😉 )

 Inform family/friends/housemates you are busy

It is important that people close to you in your life understand that sports trading is important and they should allow you to concentrate when you are hard at it. Inform the people you live with that you do not want any distractions during your specific trading time and you can be sure that they will understand and give you the space you need. The last thing you need is to be trying to make an important split second decision worth hundreds of pounds only for your housemate to walk in and ask if your up for a quick game of FIFA, or your wife to walk in wondering what you want for tea!