Stock Doc: Markets and Mood Swings

Last week I wrote a column called "The Pursuit of Happiness" as a wakeup call for all of the workaholics out there who believe that happiness is elusive despite their financial successes and achievements.

Most Type A personalities find it very difficult to leave assignments, projects or trades up in the air without closure. They like certainty and predictability. The lack of it renders them paralyzed, obsessive and unable to focus on their internal feelings or thoughts. The focus shifts only to external dilemmas or tasks and detracts from self-reflection and happiness.

One reader who identified with the complexity of balancing work stress with appreciation of the simpler things in life wrote to me about it.

Dear Dr. Cass,
Your piece really resonated with me. I've been trying to do exactly as you suggest, with some success, but I find my feelings for the day are too market-dependent. If my total portfolio is up, I feel up; and conversely, when it goes down, I feel down. ...