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Stomaching them is the price investors have to pay to get the bigger returns that stocks can offer over other investments in the long term.

Here's a glimpse at what's behind the market's wild moves and what experts advise:

How bad is it?

Wall Street's main benchmark, the S&P 500, lost more than 16% since setting an all-time high Feb. 19, mostly because of worries about President Donald Trump's tariffs.

His trade war is making it more difficult for companies, households and others to feel confident enough to invest, spend and make long-term plans.

The tariffs announced April 2 sent stocks reeling to their worst day since since the COVID-19 crash of 2020.

The hope among investors was that Trump would use tariffs merely as a bargaining chip to win concessions from other countries. Some on Wall Street still think that's the case, and a moderation of tariffs would help stocks recover, but it's less of a certainty now.

Stocks do this often?

The S&P 500 has seen declines of at least 10% every year or so. Often, experts view them as a culling of optimism that can otherwise run overboard, driving stock prices too high.

Before this downswing, many critics said the U.S. stock market was too expensive after prices rose faster than corporate profits.

They also pointed to how only a handful of companies drove so much of the market's returns. A group of just seven Big Tech companies accounted for more than half of the S&P 500's total return last year, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Should I get out?

Anytime an investor sees they're losing money, it feels bad. This recent run feels particularly unnerving because of how calm the market had been. The S&P 500 came off a second straight year where it shot up by more than 20%, the first time that's happened since before the millennium.

Selling may offer some feeling of relief but it also locks in losses and prevents the chance of making back the money over time. Historically, the S&P 500 has come back from every one of its downturns to eventually make investors whole again. That includes after the Great Depression, the dot-com bust and the COVID crash.

Some recoveries take longer than others, but experts often recommend not putting money into stocks that you can't afford to lose for up to 10 years. Emergency funds, for things like home repairs or medical bills, should not be invested in stocks.

"Data has shown, historically, that no one can time the market," said Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of WalletHub. "No one can consistently figure out the best time to buy and sell."

Should I make changes?

For years, the U.S. stock market was the best by far to invest in worldwide. Now, more investors are questioning wither U.S. exceptionalism is dead.

Investors often do best when they have a mixed set of investments rather than going all-in on just a few. And investors may no longer be as diversified as they thought after years of sheer dominance by the Magnificent Seven over the U.S. stock market and by Wall Street over global markets.

"It is hard to roll with the punches when some days you feel like your portfolio is being pummeled," said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. "But those moments should pass. A diversified strategy that is thoughtfully adapting to changing circumstances can't prevent the punches, but it can help soften the blows."

Phil Battin, CEO of Ambassador Wealth Management, advises investors to make sure they diversify their investments across regions and sectors to reduce risk. He says to lean toward "resilient sectors such as consumer staples, utilities and health care, which are less reliant on international trade."

What should I do?

The proliferation of online trading platforms and the ease of smartphones helped create a new generation of investors who may not be used to such volatility.

The good news is, with decades to go until retirement, younger investors can afford to ride the waves and let their stock portfolios hopefully recover.

Stephen Kates, financial analyst at Bankrate, says "now is not the time to make emotional decisions." Young investors should "re-anchor to your (long-term) goals," and consider using a financial adviser to help navigate uncertain times. 

Older investors have less time to allow their investments to bounce back. Still, in retirement some people will need their investments to last 30 years or more, said Niladri "Neel" Mukherjee, chief investment officer of TIAA Wealth Management.

Retirees may want to cut back on spending and withdrawals after sharp market downturns, because bigger withdrawals will remove more potential compounding ability in the future.