Being a long-term investor isn't always easy, particularly when the market deals as a volatile a hand as it has over these last few years. While some stocks have felt this volatility more or less than others, many investors have likely breathed a sigh of relief as the S&P 500 has delivered multiple new highs in the early days of 2024.

If the fresh bull market has reawakened your interest in investing, or simply made you want to add more cash to stocks, you're not alone. However, it's important to remember that both bear and bull periods are a regular part of the stock market cycle. And if you stay invested in companies for years at a time, however great they might be, you will likely feel the brunt of those tough market days.

The good news is, it's always a great time to invest in wonderful businesses. If you're consistently adding to top-quality stocks, you can benefit from the beaten-down share prices that often appear in bear markets and from the rebound that bull markets deliver. It's also worth noting that while the average bear market lasts about 286 days, the average bull market continues about 1,011 days. You won't be able to time exactly when those periods will be, but if you're in the market consistently, you don't have to.

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Source Fool.com