Gear Down
Why should we be scared of pressing a big red button that merely gives us control of an a/c. Back when we flew GA we were in big red button mode all the time.
I feel some today are being over awed by all the automation, at the end of the day they are aircraft and simple to fly. If you can't fly them then you need to question your position.
Some great advice I was given as a F/O was to learn how to operate the aircraft in every mode, automated or not, and to push myself while I was an F/O so that when I moved to command the a/c posed no loading upon me, allowing me to manage and observe.