Don't you find it amazing how much the mind can do in so little time? A wise man said, "best way to Maximize time is through the mind". Once you've settled the war in your mind and make a mental list, seeing the pictures and effectively putting it down on a list, your day or goals are already half done. This is why successful people work with a calendar and schedules.
This is almost the same thing with the foe called fear. Just like you outlined, diverting our mind from the problem and rather focusing on the possible solutions also helps curb fear.