The Psychology of your 20s

Your 20s are sold to you as the “best years of your life” - which is hilarious, considering how many of us spend them underpaid, overthinking, heartbroken, living in transitional housing, and finding a new identity every 6 months. So what does it actually mean to ‘romanticise your 20s’? In this episode, we break down romanticising as a real psychological skill - how your brain constructs meaning, why attention shapes what feels like reality, and why building a coherent life story matters most when your life feels messy.
We explore:
• Why your attention changes your experience
• The neuroscience and cognition of meaning-making
• The role of emergent adulthood
• Why narrative psychology is so important
• Five grounded ways to romanticise your life
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/PMC4324396/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224545.2025.2563539
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3045747/
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.

Betrayal doesn’t just ‘hurt your feelings.’ It shatters your nervous system, hijacks your sense of reality, and rewires your brain for fear and hypervigilance. We can be betrayed - or betray someone else - in a myriad of ways, with life-shattering results. In this episode, we explore the psychological impact of betrayal, delve into the reasons people betray us, and explore ways we can heal.
We explore:
Why betrayal can appear in many forms
How the act of being betrayed affects our brain
Why someone might betray us
Betrayal blindness and institutional betrayal
Why the betrayal grief cycle is similar to losing a loved one
How we can heal, move on, and learn to trust ourselves again
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.

Why is it that we can have a million visions, dreams and goals for how we want our life to be, but we can't seem to execute any of them? Is it laziness? Lack of discipline? Or fear? In today's episode, we break down the analysis paralysis that comes with wanting to do everything, and instead doing nothing at all. Our discussion includes:
The three types of fear keeping us stuck
The most famous study on decision making!
The psychology of regret
How to choose what path to follow first
Dealing with the judgement of others
And so much more! 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]
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 best things in life aren't always the easiest and it's often this exertion and extra effort that holds us back from diving in or fully committing. Whether it's a new routine, an ambitious study schedule or workout plan, knowing how we can use psychology and neuroscience to make hard tasks easier is incredibly valuable. In today's episode we discuss:
• The 5 minute rule• The power of a persona• Using mental imagery and visualisation to do hard things• The power of learned industriousness• The 3 forms of motivation to know and implement
This episode will make all the hard things you've been putting off infinitely easier. 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.

We’ve all heard the phrase trauma bonding, often used in jest to talk about two people who became friends after meeting in difficult circumstances. But trauma bonding is actually a psychological phenomenon which defines a relationship characterised by an abuser and their target, and a cycle that can be very hard to break out of. In this episode, we unpack the characteristics of a trauma bond, how you can identify if you might be experiencing one, and steps you can take to break away from one.
We explore:
What a trauma bond looks like
Why trauma bonds can happen
What a trauma bond ISN’T
Why trauma bonds can play out in a variety of relationships
How to identify if you are experiencing a trauma bond
Steps you can take to move away from a trauma bond
A few resources to help you if you are struggling with a trauma bond:
The Attachment Project: HERE
Choosing Therapy: HERE
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.