Fear of airports

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This is probably going to sound ridiculous but the fear is real.
I have only been abroad once in my life, about 30 years ago, and I traveled with someone else.
I remember nothing about the airport part of it as I was terrified of the actual plane. As it turned out I coped okay.
Fast forward to now and I am going to Australia in July. Alone.
This will be 2 flights with 2 hours for changeover in Singapore. The flights are with Singapore Airlines.
I am irrationally nervous about the actual airport.
It's purely fear of the unknown and worry that I won't be in the right place at the right time.
I will be going to Heathrow early and I already have the tickets and visa sorted and printed off. Passport all okay.
I am traveling to Perth to stay with my son and his girlfriend and I can't wait to see them. I just don't want to get this wrong.
I feel like paying to be escorted through both airports would be money well spent. I wish I had someone to travel with, but there isn't anyone.

I've flown that route several times with that airline and stop over.

I won't lie - Singapore airport is big. You may feel overwhelmed with the signs / size. BUT YOU WILL BE FINE.

Bags are all sorted and changed over, so it is just yourself to get from A to B.

Just take it slow, don't go into immediate panic if something doesn't make sense. It will, just check again.

A few things you could do - when you are on the first flight, have a look around the cabin. See if you can spot a friendly looking person, and just ask if they are travelling on to Oz or not. If they are, they may be happy for you to tag along with them.

Also, the staff are always super helpful. Ask the flight attendants where to go when you get off. Ask where the help desk is. Follow the flow of people and just keep asking questions to check you are going in the right direction.

I'd contact the airline and tell them you need assistance. Assistance at Heathrow is free. You can also collect a sunflower lanyard so staff will give you more time. (And yes they are for use in this scenario, I was advised to collect one because I have a weird fear of the body scanners).

I just checked, Changi has procedures in place too. Honestly please ask for assistance. Anxiety is awful.

You can do this.
dd did this journey solo just after she turned 18, she was mainly worried about how to get her connecting flight (she stopped off in Singapore I think) and messaged me during the layover saying she had asked a couple of people who had been really friendly and helpful and pointed her in the right direction.
So sorry I don’t have any advice but please do just ask, if the first person can’t help, ask someone else.
Once you’re safely in Perth reunited with your son I bet you’ll have so much more confidence in yourself for the return journey.
Your fears don’t sound in any way ridiculous, the unknown can be daunting but you can definitely get through this 💐

Singapore airport is big but it's also friendly. It's also clean and modern.

Nobody wants passengers to get lost or not be on time for their flights. There's going to be signs and screens absolutely everywhere. People will help you if you need help.

Thank you everyone for your replies. I feel better already 🙏

I don't know if jt helps but I always get anxious in the same scenarios when it's something new to me and I always tell myself that people far more stupid than me manage to do it every day so there's no reason I can't.

Nearly every airline and airport run 'fear of flying' courses. I don't know if its more about the actual flight- noises, doors closing, wheels going up etc, but might also provide some support for navigating the actual airport or relaxation techniques. These links aren't specifically for Singapore air but might be worth enquiring what is covered. Or enquiring what is run from your local airport.
https://flyingwithconfidence.com/
https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/wellbeing-and-health/flying-without-fear.html

Singapore has a franca lingua of English- so all staff in a customer service role will speak it to a good level. Signs are in English too, but no harm in asking for assistance if available. Changi is a very large airport, but if the change over is only 2hrs, you'll generally get off and be told where your next check in gate is. If not, just ask staff. Sometimes, you go through the X-ray machines again, then walk to the Gate- 12, 24A, 36 etc whilst awaiting boarding. Signage is very good, and there are multiple information points in the airport to ask people also. Have a fabulous time.

Edited to say that Changi airport has a cactus garden. Its a quiet, outside garden area. Depending on the time of day, there is a bar open too, but you can also wander around the garden, get some sunshine and air, look at the plants and just relax and stretch.

If you print off a map of the airport beforehand, you might feel more confident getting around.

Just keep asking people if you need to. Kind people are everywhere and they will always help.

Perth! How fabulous. Have a great time.

Perhaps also have a look on YouTube to see if there's video tour type things of the airports you will be in. I like a good floor plan for putting me at ease in a place I don't know, i don't know if these will be available for an airport though but if you're a visual learner it may be worth a look.

And don't feel ridiculous. We all feel uncomfortable with different things. I've been driving 30mins each way to go to the swimming pool next to my old house instead of going to the one round the corner because I wasn't sure where I was meant to go or do at the new one (absolutely ridiculous I know, how hard did I think it would be!).

Just wanted to update.
I'm currently in Australia!!!
It was fine.
So fine in fact that I'm coming for another holiday in December.
Thank you everyone for your positive comments 🙏

That's fantastic. Have a great time.

Brilliant! And so lovely for you to see your son and his partner. Enjoy 😊