Destroy what you're afraid of instead of admitting that you're afraid is a pretty common reaction. Fear is the mindkiller.
Do you find it ridiculous that you often jump when you're standing there and finally notice the thing that wasn't moving, yet aren't scared and have no problem giving a wide berth to something you see coming? I certainly always feel silly when that happens, but chalking up that reaction to our primal predator/prey instincts, a little trick I learned as a zookeeper was to always calmly talk to whatever the scary beast is that I've found, or to the creatures that are terrified of me. Not that they understand by any means, but they hear the inflection (or fear) in your voice and are able to know where you are in proximity to them and what your intentions are. Snakes (like sandworms) do not have great hearing, but they can feel the vibration of your voice and smell as well as see you. Just keep yelling at the snake (and those damned kids) to get off your lawn, and it'll turn away and leave if given the chance and escape route. It's notable that they'll also usually move pretty slowly, so everyone has a clear understanding that we're all trying not to escalate the situation. (Note, this really only works with creatures that don't actually think they can eat you, aren't defending their young, aren't trained to attack, and aren't invertebrates; however I have always had luck with scorpions and web-weaving spiders. It doesn't work on possessed flocks of birds, demon dogs, or cats reanimated in the pet cemetery either.)
