Put things into perspective, we are only thirteen days off the bear market lows.

bears are out and feeding

The key now is how well and how many stocks can hold up while the market sells off.

What is your edge? It's your ability to apply your strategy and make it work for you. You are your real edge.

You have to have a profitable method and a consistant aproach to the markets, but you know you are your real edge and that first and foremost you have to take care of yourself. 

In your business/trading plan:"Include a provision that will keep you from trading if outside circumstances create an unusual stress", such as health, divorce, or a major move. You might as well just write check out of your trading account and kiss it goodbuy. This is a hard thing to recognize before it is to late. People LOSE money during times of ten major stresses: death, taxes, divorce, moving, health.....you get the point. Trading is a performance oriented discipline. If you can't perform well, cancel the show..... If a tenis player severly sprains his ankle, he cancels the match. Why do damage to your ratings? Why mar your statistical record with sub-optimal performance? Markets will always be there!

The market will tell you when a bear market phase is over, because stocks will start putting in higher lows, stocks will make new 52-week highs, and stocks will stop making new 52-week lows.