How do I avoid panic-selling when the market is falling and everyone seems scared?

The best defense is set up before the storm, because in the moment, emotion overrides logic. Build a written investment plan stating your target allocation and a promise to keep buying through downturns; reading your own past commitment can talk you off the ledge. Automate contributions so investing happens without you having to decide during scary headlines.

Practical guardrails: keep a solid emergency fund so you're never forced to sell, stop checking your balance daily, and mute financial news that fuels dread. Remind yourself that a paper loss only becomes a real loss when you sell, and that the market's best days often come right after the worst ones. If downturns are genuinely unbearable, the honest fix is a more conservative allocation you can hold, decided in calm times. The behavior of staying invested is worth more than any clever move.