How to survive a bear market

"Investors can survive a bear market the same way hikers survive an encounter with a bear: Remain calm and don't make sudden moves" as Wall Street Journal writer Jason Zweig advised on April 4-5, 2020.
See: Staying safe around bears: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm

Consider your entire portfolio, including your human capital and Social Security benefits.
as Zweig explains: "your expected social Security payments are like a giant phantom annuity."  Any defined benefit pension plan is a similar (but not inflation-adjusted) annuity. Thus, your total portfolio is bigger than your 401(k) statement and less exposed to the stock market.

Don't know what an annuity is? Search this blog for the answers. 

Now may be a good time to consider converting  traditonal IRA to a Roth IRA, paying taxes now for tax-free income in the future.