That’s not just a simple case of shrinking numbers; it’s the stone pressing on your chest, the anxiety of opening your eyes at 3 a.m. staring at the ceiling. But let me tell you the truth: losing to this extent, nine times out of ten, it’s not the market’s fault, but because you’ve been blindly swinging in this market alone before.

I’ve interacted with many traders, and the most common thing isn’t that they’ve never made money—actually, most have. The problem is that after making some profit, they get cocky, think they’ve become trading geniuses, start full-positioning, fighting against the trend, and finally end up back at square one. That’s how this market works; it’s designed to cure all kinds of arrogance. The more anxious you are, the harsher it strikes.

**Stop first, pull yourself up**

Right now, the worst thing you can do is open a position immediately, trying to make back the losses. That’s classic gambler’s mentality, and it will only make your $10,000 evaporate quickly.

Admitting loss is okay, but don’t admit defeat. The money lost should be considered tuition— but that tuition must be valuable. You need to thoroughly think through the problem. Were you fooled by a big V’s call? Or couldn’t resist the temptation and added leverage? Calculate this clearly, leave no detail unchecked.

The simplest way is to step away from the screen. Watching K-line charts now is like staring at an ECG—each line can make your heart race, the more you watch, the more anxious you get, and the more chaotic your operations become. Just turn off the software, go for a walk, get some fresh air. You need to completely detach from that “must recover” revenge mentality to regain rational judgment.

Then, reframe that $10,000. Don’t treat it as the last chip to turn things around—that pressure is unbearable. Treat it as your new starting point—a principal, a seed. From today, every trade’s goal isn’t to quickly recover, but to “stay alive,” gradually cultivating correct trading habits one by one.

**Real turnaround depends on strategy, not luck**

Small funds wanting to reverse the situation, the key isn’t about betting right on one or two market moves. It’s about establishing a trading system that belongs to you and can withstand review. This includes a few core principles:

First, understand your risk tolerance. If you have $10,000, be clear on the maximum loss per trade. Don’t just go all-in because you’re in a good mood, or panic and go all-in when you’re down. Set a stop-loss line and stick to it—this is the bottom line for survival.

Second, choose a pace that suits you. Not all coins need to be traded, not all markets require participation. Instead of trying to trade everything and losing on all fronts, focus on one or two main assets, master them thoroughly—ETH, BTC, or a liquidity-rich coin, or a project you truly understand.

Third, learn to see the big picture in higher timeframes to judge smaller ones. Many lose because they trade based on five-minute charts, getting confused by noise. Lift your head and look at the hourly or daily charts, understand the overall direction, and make trading decisions within that framework. At least then, your mistakes won’t be so outrageous.

Fourth, keep records and review. Log every trade—when you entered, why, how much you lost or gained, what lessons you learned. Review once a week to see where you went wrong and what you did right. Over time, you’ll be able to identify your trading patterns and vulnerabilities.

In the end, turning things around takes time. It’s not that if you adjust your mindset today, you’ll soar tomorrow. It’s about gradually embedding correct habits, making each trade more logical than the last. Three months, six months, a year—slowly, you’ll find yourself different—not because the market favors you, but because you’ve truly learned how to survive in this market.