Appeal deadline questions after an unemployment denial after 14 years as a data-entry clerk

My claim was denied after 26 weeks of waiting, and the letter says I have a short window to appeal. It has been weighing on me all week. I have not done a hearing before and I am nervous. If you have appealed before, what helped you prepare?

Stay calm and stick to facts. Mine lasted about thirty minutes and felt more like a conversation than a trial.