The Psychology of your 20s

Ambition feels like my entire personality and I'm trying to fix that. Who are we beyond our ambition? In a world that only cares about success, output and productivity, what do we feel like we'll lose when we slow down?

Watch on Netflix: HERE

In this episode I explore: 

• The psychology of highly ambitious people
• The lies that ambition tells us 
• How ambition steals your joy 
• How to value yourself beyond your output 
• What matters more than ambition
• The way to slow ambition and why it builds more 

If you can relate, this is the episode for you! 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stress has a reputation for burning us out, torching our relationships and even causing our lives to end prematurely. But not all stress is created equal. In this episode, we explore the difference between eustress - good stress - and distress, understand why our experience of stress is rooted in our perception of it, and understand how we can harness stress as a powerful force for motivation, energy and well-being. 

Watch on Netflix: HERE

We unpack: 
• The difference between eustress - good stress - and distress
• Why avoiding stress can actually cause cognitive decline
• The dangers of too much stress on our bodies and minds
• The Yerkes-Dodson law and the ‘sweet spot’ of stress
• How we can reframe our approach to stress to create our own ‘biology of courage’

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

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Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcGyVTAoXEU&vl=en 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8384975/ 
https://www.healthline.com/health/yerkes-dodson-law  

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We treat our memories like a reliable recording of the past. We remember what happened, how we felt, where we were, and what was said. But what if our account is more like a subjective recollection of events? In this episode, we explore the concept of false memories – how they form, why this matters in our everyday lives, and their more serious potential impacts.

We explore:
•        The cognitive mechanisms behind false memories
•        The misinformation effect and the car crash study
•        Why our memories are open to imagination, repetition and social influence
•        Potential consequences of false memories in news reporting and eyewitness testimony
•        The importance of ethical therapeutic practices and memory

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources:
https://innocenceproject.org/dna-exonerations-in-the-united-states/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/memory-mind-and-media/article/fake-memories-a-metaanalysis-on-the-effect-of-fake-news-on-the-creation-of-false-memories-and-false-beliefs/B6A66A305AFD6724E1C1C56A68BB5CF2

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0021-9010.83.3.360

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022537174800113?via%3Dihub

https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/BF03196174

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does feeling sad sometimes feel... so good? Whether it’s putting on the saddest song you know, rewatching a movie that always makes you cry, indulging in a little self-pity or finally letting yourself have a good sob, there is something strangely satisfying about sadness. And psychology may be able to explain why.

In this episode, we explore the surprising psychological value of sadness, including:

• Why sadness can sometimes feel pleasurable
• The psychology of sad songs and sad movies
• The tragedy paradox
•  Why a good cry can feel so cathartic
• Emotional suppression and why it exhausts us
• Hedonic adaptation and why happiness loses its intensity
• The surprising appeal of self-pity

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected]

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a known fact that time moves faster as we get older, but what does this really mean, and can we slow it down? In this episode, we’re going to try to make sense of why flies as we enter our 20s - from memory, to novelty, eye movements and the effects of COVID. 

Watch on Netflix: HERE

We explore:

• Different types of time: measured vs. perceived
• What makes time feel fast and slow?
• The effect of the pandemic
• The relationship between time and age
• How social media is making time go faster
• The 4 ways we can feel like we have more time 

Happy listening! 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Oedipus complex is one of Freud’s most renowned and shocking ideas. In this episode, we dive into the origins of the theory and whether anything really remains once its gendered assumptions and controversial sexual claims are stripped away.

We explore:
- How the Greek tragedy of Oedipus inspired Freud’s theory
- What Freud meant by unconscious childhood desire and parental rivalry
- The importance of the phallic stage
- How Freud believed it was resolved - and what fixation was thought to mean for adulthood
- His problematic gendered ideas
- The scientific and ethical problems surrounding the theory
- How modern psychoanalysis has reinterpreted Oedipal ideas

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources:

https://lacanianworksexchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/19260101-The-Flight-from-Womanhood-The-Masculinity-Complex-in-Women-as-Viewed-by-Men-and-by-Women-Karen-Horney-IJP-7-p324-339.pdf  

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.2167-4086.2004.tb00151.x  

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-3204.32.4.535  

https://www.routledge.com/The-Oedipus-Complex-A-Contemporary-Introduction/Rohleder/p/book/9781032495651  

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are a surprising number of myths and misconceptions about the brain, particularly with regards to its development in our 20s. In this episode, we unpack a number of surprising facts and studies about the brain so that we can in turn better understand how to make the most of our 20s. 

Watch on Netflix: HERE

We unpack: 
• The science of neuroplasticity and how our brain can rewire itself 
• Why, on a cognitive level, a broken heart may not be so different from a broken arm
• How much of our brains we really use (hint - it’s more than 10%!)
• The gut-brain axis and why poor gut health can cause depression - not the other way around
• Why our brain needs to forget to function properly
• The real age our brain stops developing

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fear of missing out or not seizing every moment are some of the biggest worries we experience in our 20s. However, spending time alone isn’t the same as being lonely or doing nothing - in fact, it’s quite the opposite. In this episode, we explore why we resist being alone - but why learning to do so is psychologically positive, and can even be a superpower.

Watch on Netflix: HERE

• Why we culturally and socially villainise solitude
• How constantly being online interrupts our ability to be truly alone 
• The creative and emotional benefits of spending time alone
• Why our capacity to be alone is a reflection of our overall maturity 
• How we can embrace the power of solitude

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources: 

https://spsp.org/news-center/character-context-blog/social-costs-seeking-solitude  
https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts?language=en  
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/feb/02/quiet-please-the-remarkable-power-of-silence-for-our-bodies-and-our-minds 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

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Dating can bring out the psychologist in us. One delayed reply, one vague comment, and we try to decode someone’s attachment style, childhood wounds, and capacity for commitment. But while psychological language can help us make sense of relationships, it can also become a way to avoid the much harder truth - sometimes we simply don’t know yet. In this episode we look at why overanalysing feels so reassuring, especially when we have been hurt before, and how the search for hidden meaning can distract us from direct communication, being present, and the person actually in front of us.

Watch on Netflix: HERE

We explore:
• The difference between noticing patterns and control rumination
• Why dating uncertainty makes labels feel so appealing
• Why overanalysing often comes from fear rather than insight
• Why this can stop us from being vulnerable ourselves
• Why behaviour matters more than the story behind it
• How to slow the spiral and regain clarity, communication, and self-trust

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_stop_overthinking_your_relationship 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X16300306?via%3Dihub 
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.75.2.545 
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-01742-003 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we explore the psychology of the quarter life reinvention: the period that can come after the confusion, uncertainty and identity crisis of our early and mid-20s, when things finally begin to fall into place. We look at how the quarter life crisis can transform us, the stages we move through, and why sometimes everything has to fall apart before we can rebuild a life that feels more like our own.

We explore:
• The difference between a quarter life crisis and a quarter life reinvention
• The ‘locked in’ and ‘locked out’ forms of the quarter life crisis
• The four stages of the crisis
• The signs that you’re entering your reinvention era
• How experimentation, risk taking and new experiences help us rebuild
• The role of narrative psychology and rewriting the story you tell about your life
• Why learning to tolerate uncertainty may be the key to finally moving forward

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the shadow self? And how do we meet ours? In today's episode we explore what it means to get curious about the shadow parts of ourselves. We take a grounded look at shadow work - where the idea came from, the layers of our psyche, and how the repressed parts of ourselves show up. 

We explore:
•        What Jung meant by the shadow and the persona
•        How the dark or disowned parts of ourselves can develop
•        Why anger, neediness, ambition, or confidence can feel uncomfortable to acknowledge
•        The role of projection, triggers and repeated patterns
•        How to approach shadow work cautiously and with curiosity

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources:

The book I spoke about: HERE

The YouTube video: HERE 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

 

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We're talking about reputation. On a fundamental level, our reputations are a signal of our qualities that make us worth associating with, and we tend to spend a large amount of time ruminating and even obsessing over what others think of us. In this episode, we explore why we need reputations as social creatures, understand why we can misinterpret others’ reputations, and think about what we can do to repair a bad reputation. 

We unpack: 
• Where our reputations come from
• Why two people can view the same person so differently 
• The halo effect and how appearance biases our perception of others
• How our reputations can change over time 
• Why we shouldn’t always believe what others say
• How we can repair a bad reputation

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources: 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8487743/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/ecology-of-minds/202509/what-makes-a-good-reputation https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349443219_The_halo_effect

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was recently diagnosed with PMOS, and with that came a lot of questions: why is my body like this, what caused it, will I be able to have kids, how can I fix it? There's a lot of information (and misinformation) online, so today I decided to sit down with an expert to ask all my burning questions on this condition. 

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Dr Hazel Wallace is a medical doctor, registered associate nutritionist, women's health expert, author and founder of the platform, The Food Medic. In this episode, we discuss: 

• The origins of PMOS/PCOS 
• Why we had to change the PCOS name 
• What causes PMOS and whether it's genetic 
• How PMOS intersects with psychology and mental health
• The 5 things you should and shouldn't do if you have PMOS 
• What actually helps 
• How to deal with medical dismissal and misinformation

Happy listening! 

Dr Hazel's book HERE

Follow Dr Hazel HERE 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The term “Stockholm Syndrome” is used to explain why someone might defend, protect, or feel attached to a person who has harmed them - but why does this happen? In this bonus episode, we explore where the term came from, some famous cases, and how the mind functions to keep us safe.

We explore:
•        The 1973 bank robbery
•        Famous cases linked to Stockholm syndrome
•        The role of appeasement
•        How it relates to trauma bonding
•        Why dependence breeds attachment
•        How those experiencing Stockholm syndrome are supported

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2007.01112.x

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20008066.2022.2161038

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1080/00048670701261178

 

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Tips for nervous system regulation are everywhere right now - from breathwork and cold plunges to conversations about burnout, anxiety, and trauma. But what does it actually mean to be regulated, and are we sometimes turning healing into another thing to obsess over? In this episode, we take a grounded, research-informed look at what your nervous system is really trying to do, why fight-or-flight is not the enemy, and how stress, trauma, lifestyle, and hypersensitivity can shape the way we feel in our bodies.

We explore:
•        What the window of tolerance can teach us about overwhelm and shutdown
•        Why your nervous system is trying to protect you
•        The role of trauma, chronic stress, and lifestyle factors in dysregulation
•        What a regulated nervous system can actually feel like 
•        How hypersensitivity can keep us stuck in symptom-monitoring
•        Why sleep, safety, nourishment, connection, and routine matter more than expensive wellness tools

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources: 
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.4/jbremner
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005789413000191?via%3Dihub
https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/44/6/zsaa289/6053003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTJAjx-AGAo

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Angel numbers have a way of showing up just when we need them. 111 symbolises new beginnings. 444 means divine protection. Why does our mind pay such close attention to these numbers, what is the history, and what is their impact from a psychological standpoint? In today's episode, we break down:

• The ancient origins of angel numbers 
• Why the founder of angel numbers now regrets them 
• The meaning behind some of the most significant angel numbers
• Why our brain pays close attention to symbolism 
• The emotional comfort of angel numbers 
• Why people feel threatened by angel numbers 
• When angel numbers can become harmful

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I think we all instinctively know if we find someone interesting… or not. But how can we cultivate the skills of being interesting to others? In this episode, we break down the science behind what makes people interesting, talk about some easy things we can all do to tap into what already makes us unique, and focus on one of life’s greatest conversational hacks - learning how to be truly interested in others. 

We explore: 
• Why we all love interesting people 
• How ‘digital saturation’ is making us more bored, and boring
• The importance of asking open-ended questions to unlock better conversations
• Why being truly unique is a status symbol 
• The power of learning to talk to strangers
• Why social skills are actually just social courage

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources:

https://tedbauer.medium.com/are-people-more-boring-now-98105e03e20c

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-12130-004

https://thevectorimpact.com/how-to-be-more-interesting/

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If anyone tells you that they’re not even a little bit insecure, they’re lying, in denial, or both. It’s a fact of life that we all feel insecure at times - about how we look, behave, our achievements, and whether we are liked by others. In this episode, we examine the psychology behind common insecurities, recognise how we can be our own worst enemies, and consider the ways we can come to accept that we are all flawed, and might not actually need ‘fixing’. 

We unpack: 
• The surprising evolutionary benefits that come with insecurity
• How our levels of insecurity change throughout our lives
• The ‘liking gap’, and why we think others like us less than they do 
• How being insecure can feed insecurity, in a vicious cycle 
• Why people pleasing and over confidence are often signs of insecurity 
• How we can address insecurities that negatively impact our lives

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources: 

https://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/insecurity-leads-us-underestimate-how-much-others-us

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228079585_Self-Esteem_Development_Across_the_Lifespan

https://www.centerforanxiety.org/what-is-hyper-independence-is-it-a-bad-thing/

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Uncertainty is the defining emotion of our 20s. Career paths, relationships, identity, purpose ... so much of this decade is marked by not knowing. Does that have to be as uncomfortable as we think it does? In today’s episode, we unpack the psychology of uncertainty: why our brains fear it, how it triggers anxiety and avoidance, and why trying to “figure it all out” might be doing more harm than good.

We explore:

• The neuroscience behind our discomfort with the unknown
• Why perfectionism is often a mask for our fear of uncertainty
• The cultural myths that make us believe we need a step-by-step life plan
• How to assign meaning to uncertainty and build resilience through it
• Practical strategies to take action even when the future feels unclear

If you've never felt more confused than you do now, and are unsure 'what's next', this episode is for you. 

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past 6 months I've been asking people: what is the biggest mistake you made in your 20s? I've heard from over 5'000 people, some of them 21, some of them 80 and I have combined all their responses to make the ultimate list of the 20 biggest mistakes people make in their 20s, for the people, by the people. 

From love, to career, to finances, going to college, friendship, taking risks: today we talk through the most common responses we received and what we can learn from these moments and regrets. Listen now! 

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The life of the highly sensitive person is often misunderstood. Highly sensitive aren't just people who cry too much or get overwhelmed, take things too personally: they actually take in so much of the world that it can be too much. They feel everything, from joy to sadness, so immediately and profoundly. They are also so in tune with the emotions of all those around them that sometimes it can be too much. Today we break down the psychology of the highly sensitive person, including: 

• What are the core assessment criteria for identifying if you're highly sensitive?
• What causes someone to be highly sensitive? 
• The genetic, personality, parental and temperment contribution 
• The link between sensitivity, IQ, EQ and creativity + the gentle superpower of sensitive people 
• Do highly sensitive people have more empathy? 
• The link between neurodivergence and sensitivity 
• How to explain your sensitivity to others 
• How to make the world work for your gentle, feeling soul, and so much more!

This episode is FULL of tips, research and studies. Listen now! 

The assessment: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/ 

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

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You know when someone seems to breeze through life, can approach any social situation and challenge with such self-assured confidence? It seems innate - something they were born with. But what if that's not true? What if, instead of a fixed personal trait, confidence is actually a set of learnable abilities, a dynamic skill that anyone can cultivate, sharpen, and ultimately master? Today, we’re challenging the notion that confidence is a trait, and instead something you build.

Things we discuss:

• Why confidence is dynamic and adaptable
• Self-efficacy as a driver of confidence
• How "growth mindsets" can revolutionise your approach to challenges and setbacks
• Understanding the locus of control to fuel or hinder your forward momentum
• Actionable strategies to build your confidence from the ground up

If you’ve ever thought, “if only I was just born confident”, this episode is for you.

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sigmund Freud is one of the most famous and contested names in psychology. Often reduced to couches, cigars, dreams, sex, and blaming everything on your mother, Freud’s real story is much more complicated. In this bonus episode, we take a look at who Freud actually was - his medical background, the development of his method, and why his views are so context specific.

We explore:
• The development of free association 
• The role of dreams and transference
• Defence mechanisms and the unconscious
• The structural model of the human psyche
• Challenges to his theory
• Freud's legacy: Anna and modern-day psychoanalysis

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559106/

https://www.cureus.com/articles/303246-matters-of-the-mind-a-look-into-the-life-of-sigmund-freud#!/

https://www.freud.org.uk/2020/04/07/freud-at-home-sigmund-and-annas-studies/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15293843/

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Productivity advice often tells us to push harder, wake up earlier, and squeeze more out of every hour. But in this episode, we take a different approach. Instead of treating productivity like a test of willpower, we look at the psychology behind focus, procrastination, energy, motivation, and rest - and why working with your brain is usually more effective than trying to bully it into action.

We explore 7 tips for productivity, including:
• How small wins can create momentum
• Why the hardest task often needs to come first
• How to work with your natural energy patterns
• Habit stacking for boring tasks
• Why 20 focused minutes can be more useful than waiting for the perfect window
• How ‘shoot your shot’ days can move you closer to the life you want
• Why real rest is essential for sustainable productivity

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources: 
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-295X.84.2.191

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674

https://www.ted.com/talks/saundra_dalton_smith_the_real_reason_why_we_are_tired_and_what_to_do_about_it

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TW: Discussions of miscarriage/pregnancy

Grace Beverley is a founder, an entrepreneur, and a seasoned professional when it comes to pursuing the ideas your have, but also knowing when to slow down, recover from burnout and let yourself be vulnerable. 

In today's episode we discuss her journey from studying music at Oxford to launching over five businesses, and her next chapter as a parent. We talk about: 

• The best career advice for your 20s
• How to start a business and her biggest lessons from early failures
• Why love should make you feel safe 
• Her pregnancy loss story 
• The importance of being vocal about what you believe in 
• How to recover from burnout

Listen now!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Grace on Instagram: @gracebeverley

Shop TALA: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We all know that therapy is amazing, in fact it’s life-changing for many people. But what does therapy actually do? And what makes a good therapist? 

In today’s episode we’re joined by Dr Sandra Espinoza, Associate Professor of the Couple and Family Therapy Program at Alliant University. Our discussion includes: 

• Her journey into helping others 
• Why the best therapists, go to therapy 
• What to look for in your therapist 
• Why we can’t just rely on our friends 
• Our greatest misconceptions around therapy 
• Why stigma and affordability continue to be the biggest barriers 
• How Alliant University is leading the next generation of helpers and therapists to support their communities 

If you’ve ever considered therapy, been curious about therapy or want to be a therapist yourself, this is your ultimate guide. 

Follow Dr Espinoza: HERE 

Find out more about Alliant University: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At some point in most of our lives, most of us have felt that we are ‘too much’. We might feel that we are too loud, have too many opinions, are too extroverted, too needy, or generally take up too much emotional ‘space’. In this episode, we explore what this feels like when it bleeds into our personal and professional lives, the impact of suppressing emotions upon our immune system, and look at some methods to unlearn and reconfigure our relationship with the ‘too much’ label.

We unpack: 
• Why society likes to shame people who are confident and outspoken
• The psychology of ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’, and why women are particularly vulnerable 
• How being shamed and shut down as children makes us feel ‘too much’ later in life
• The link between suppressing our emotions and our immune system
• How we can unlearn the belief that we are ‘too much’

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources: 

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_are_confident_people_so_polarizing

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4212945/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXo5rB3jtOe/?img_index=20&igsh=emNnMDNlZzFoeDZm

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In many ways, sibling rivalry is an integral part of growing up in a multiple-child household – the arguments, the jealousy, the competition. But as we explore in this episode, those sibling dynamics often don’t stop in childhood, but actually following us into our 20s and adulthood, shaping how we see ourselves, relate to our families, and how we carry old roles. 

We explore:
•        Why a level of rivalry is developmentally expected
•        The evolutionary perspective on resource competition
•        The role of birth order and family roles
•        How sibling rivalry can transpire in adulthood
•        How to begin acknowledging and rewriting old roles

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

Our favourite sources: 
https://prevention.psu.edu/news/the-psychology-behind-sibling-rivalry/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10567-011-0104-5

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0192513X211064876

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-016-0429-2

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There comes a point in all of our lives where we realise we've outgrown who we used to be. Sometimes it happens all at once, due to a breakup, a move, a loss, or a major life change. Other times (most of the time), it's much quieter.  As painful as that can feel, it's also one of the clearest signs that you're evolving.

In this episode, we explore the psychology of outgrowing your old life, why change can feel so much like grief, and how to let go of the past without fearing the future.

We explore:

• The psychology of liminality and the space between who you were and who you're becoming
• The seven stages of outgrowing your old life
• Why we cling to the past through nostalgia, the endowment effect and status quo bias
• When you know a chapter is over
• How to embrace change and build a future you're excited to grow into

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TW: Discussions of suicide.

This week, I'm joined by mental health campaigner Ben West for one of the most moving conversations we've ever had on the show. At 18, Ben lost his brother to suicide. He has taken that experience and decided to change the lives of thousands, if not millions with his 'Reasons to Stay' campaign. 

In this episode we discuss:

• Why grief changes over time 
• How to find purpose after unimaginable heartbreak
• The psychology of hope and why strangers can save lives
• What supporting someone through suicidal thoughts actually looks like
• Ben's incredible initiative, Reasons to Stay, and the millions of people it's already reached
• His two personal rules for protecting his own mental health
• Why healing isn't about 'moving on' but learning to carry what you've lost

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Preorder Ben's book: HERE 

Follow Ben: HERE 

If you need help, it is available. You are NEVER alone. Please find some further resources HERE.

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: [email protected] 

The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor or a licensed psychologist.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.