Name the behavior, not the feeling about the setup
Labels such as good setup or high conviction can change meaning from day to day. Short structural names such as breakout, pullback, or support bounce are easier to apply consistently.
Before adding a tag, check whether an existing one already describes the trade.
Emotion is context, not an excuse
Anxious, rushed, or overconfident records your state at the time. Add it near entry when possible. Adding emotion only after a loss can rewrite the memory around the result.
- Rushed: entry occurred before the planned condition
- Anxious: exit occurred before the planned stop
- Overconfident: size or leverage exceeded the usual range
- Calm: entry and exit followed the written plan
Keep the vocabulary small
Four frequently used strategies and roughly four emotion labels are enough to begin. Merge synonyms and move one-off details into the note field.
Open the records behind the comparison
A lower P/L under one emotion tag does not prove that the emotion caused the loss. Leverage, time, and strategy may overlap, so review the original entries before making a claim.