It helped a lot to learn as much as I could about the way planes "operate". I have a physics background, but rather that dealing with fluid mechanics, lift, etc, what really helped me was understanding the day-to-day operations of planes and pilots - what all of the lights and sounds mean, why certain small parts of the plane are designed the way they are, etc. The YouTube channel "Captain Joe" helped me a lot with this. It really shows you how much thought, planning, and effort goes into making sure your flight is safe and smooth.

My advice is learn and think about this on the ground, when you're not getting ready to take a flight, or at the airport, or on a plane - that way you're not having a psychological response and can think more rationally about these things. There's nothing worse than having a panic attack on a plane and having your companion urge you to think about probabilities :p