Preparation removes novelty from difficulty.

Novelty is a large part of what makes hardship overwhelming. A difficult thing you have met before is still difficult, but you know its shape, and your attention can go to the problem rather than to your own alarm. Preparation cannot make the hard thing easy; it can make it recognizable.

When something looms, ask what part of the fear comes from the difficulty and what part comes from never having been there. Attack the second part with exposure, even in miniature. Familiarity is a resource, and you can build it before you need it.