Can you trade the US session with a full-time job?

For traders in Europe, the regular New York session falls in the afternoon and evening, so it can often be combined with a job. It does, however, take good organisation and realistic expectations.

Three options

• Part of the session live: you join when you finish work. You prepare your plan earlier, e.g. during a break, and catch up on the start of the session from the recording.
• Learning from recordings: during the week you work with the 🎬 Recordings archive and replays, and trade live only on selected days.
• Selected days only: 2–3 full sessions a week, the rest of the week for rest and family. Quality over quantity.

The fundamentals, whatever the option

• Sleep: in Europe the session ends at 22:00, and work starts in the morning. A fixed bedtime is crucial (💪 Fitness and routine, Fundamentals #2).
• A minimum routine: a readiness check, an “if–then” plan and a few minutes of breathing before the session.
• Boundaries: work, trading and family need clear limits (🧘 Performance under pressure #11).
• Realistic expectations: less time means slower – but still possible – progress.

Note

Don't make trading decisions in a rush between work tasks. If you can't work calmly, it's better to just observe and revisit the situation on the recording.

Educational content, not financial, legal or tax advice.