SETUP Setup · June 2026 · ~5 min
A follow-the-sun routine: a trader's day in any timezone
Plenty of traders lose not for lack of skill but because their routine fights the market clock: working all day, then forcing themselves awake for New York — decision quality collapses along with sleep. Sustainable trading starts with a schedule designed around your timezone.
Comfort plans for three timezones
- Asian timezones (around UTC+8): trade the Asian session by day (yen / aussie / regional equities), catch Europe's opening push at 15:00–17:00 local, and the London–NY overlap lands conveniently at 20:00–24:00 — the golden window in your evening;
- European timezones: the European morning flows straight into the overlap afternoon — the world's most comfortable seat;
- American timezones: wake straight into the US core window; Asia falls in your deep night — give it up and let alerts stand watch instead.
The minimal plan for part-timers
Keep one high-quality window: the two hours when you're sharpest (for most day-jobbers, the evening overlap). Everywhere else, let alerts hold the line — the phone rings when price arrives; no human tape-watching required. Inside the window trade only the plan; outside it, touch nothing.
Further: why the overlap buys the most per hour — see the overlap; set the timezone base first so alerts and journals line up — see terminal timezone settings.