The Psychology of your 20s

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Latest Episodes:

299. The psychology of emotionally immature parents May 27, 2025

Show notes

What happens when the people who were supposed to guide and nurture us were never taught to emotionally grow up themselves? In today’s episode, we dive into the psychology of emotionally immature parents - their behaviours, their blind spots, and the lasting impact they can have on our sense of self and emotional well-being.

We discuss:

How to spot emotional immaturity in parents
Where it can come from, and links to attachment theory
The impact on your identity, boundaries, and adult relationships
Why detaching with kindness can help
The guilt, grief, and tension that often comes with this dynamic
How to begin healing and reparenting yourself

If you’ve ever felt like the parent in your own family, or found yourself stuck in a cycle of seeking validation from someone who just can’t give it - this episode is for you.

ORDER MY BOOK: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

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.

298. How to make your life more fun May 23, 2025

Show notes

If you're like me, there are always a million things on my 'To Do' or 'Should Do' list and they seem to take up all my time and attention. What ever happened to just having FUN! Being silly. Being joyful. Being delighted. In today's episode we're going to talk about why your life feels boring and exactly HOW and WHY you should be prioritising fun experiences over serious, important ones. We talk about:

Why fun is easier to achieve than happiness
The real health benefits of having more fun
The 3 types of fun
4 tips to have more fun in daily life
Why acting like a child may make you live longer + so much more

Listen now and have fun!

ORDER MY BOOK: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

297. "Lifelong health begins in your 20s" ft. Dr Mark Hyman May 20, 2025

Show notes

We often take our health for granted in our 20s, but this is one of the most crucial moments for investing in your long term wellbeing. Despite that, it's often hard to know what to do and where to start, so today we have on Dr Mark Hyman to discuss the best things you can do for your health during this decade, including:

The power of sleep
How to curb your nicotine addiction
When to drink, when not to drink
The truth about processed food and how much should we be eating
The value of social connection
The next wave of mental health treatment

Listen now!

You can find Dr Mark Hyman here: https://drhyman.com/

Function Health: https://www.functionhealth.com/

Dr Hyman's podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@drmarkhyman/videos

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

*please note the views of guests are not necessarily shared by those of our host. We invite open discussion and differing viewpoints, experiences and information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

296. 5 steps to becoming an assertive communicator May 16, 2025

Show notes

Being an assertive communicator is so much more than just being demanding or confident, it comes down to our emotional ease, how we hold ourselves, how we make others feel, how we frame even the smallest of questions. It's also not something that is taught to us and if it doesn't come naturally, we have to learn on our own. In this episode I break down the FIVE scientifically proven ways to be a more assertive communicator, including:

The power of the pause
How assertive communicators use their body
Self authoring language
Visualisation! Visualisation! Visualisation!
How to leverage the Dunning-Kruger Effect

Plus 7 rapid fire tips you may or may not know! Happy (assertive) listening!

ORDER MY BOOK: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

295. Why we have vulnerability hangovers May 13, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever opened up, shared something real, and then immediately regretted it? That post-overshare spiral—the “why did I say that?” dread—is what we call a vulnerability hangover. In this episode, we dive deep into the psychology behind why vulnerability can feel so physically and emotionally intense, even when it’s necessary, honest, and healing.

We explore:

The two types of vulnerability hangovers (and why both are valid)
Why alcohol, trauma dumping, and people-pleasing make it worse
How shame and past betrayals shape our fear of being seen
The neuroscience behind your emotional "come down"
What to do the day after you said too much
How to make vulnerability a tool for connection—not something to fear

Plus, we answer listener questions on post-therapy crashes, drunk confessions, and how to stay open even when it’s hard. If you’re sitting with a case of the cringe, this episode is for you.

ORDER MY BOOK: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

294. The psychology of the talking stage May 09, 2025

Show notes

The dreaded talking stage. A whole new level of complexity that has been added to dating in our 20s. The talking stage is this strange should be about information gathering and date organising, but it's become such a snagging point for so many would be relationships. In today's episode, we discuss:

Why we even have a talking stage
The 1 month rule for the talking stage
Why they are so psychologically intense
The 3 signs you're never leaving the talking stage
How to find closure
How to not get attached too quickly + so much more

Listen now when you need a pep talk that you will survive the talking stage once more!

ORDER MY BOOK: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

293. Why are we never happy with what we have? May 06, 2025

Show notes

Why does satisfaction always feel just out of reach? You get the job, then you want the promotion. You buy the item of clothing, then the buzz wears off. There is always something MORE on the horizon. In today’s episode, we explore the psychology behind our constant craving for more - more success, more validation, more things - and why what we already have never feels like enough. Things we discuss:

Why your brain is wired for "more, more, more
The Hedonic Treadmill
The problem with "when...then" thinking
The success void that follows meeting our goals
The guilt spiral
Capitalism, consumerism, and curated online lives
What real, sustainable happiness looks like

If you’ve ever thought “I should be happy…so why am I not?”—this episode is for you. Listen now!

ORDER MY BOOK: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

292. The power of humility May 02, 2025

Show notes

Sometimes we just need to humble ourselves. We need to tell our ego to take a back seat and let ourselves fail, let ourselves be beginners, be bested, admit we were wrong and in today's episode I'm going to explain the exact psychological power of humility, including:

The 3 different definitions of ego
Why your ego is sabotaging you and keeping you stagnant
5 subtle signs your ego is taking over
Why humility makes us happier, more successful, and better connected
How to refocus from self-centeredness to contribution and connection + so much more

Listen now!

ORDER MY BOOK: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

291. How I wrote a book Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

I wrote a book and it's out today! Person in Progress: The Roadmap to The Psychology of your 20s contains everything you need to know about your 20s: how to find your purpose, how to manage relationship breakdowns, fight your self doubt, break bad habits, manage your money, heal your childhood wounds, embrace your authenticity, all from a scientific place!

In this episode we break down exactly HOW I wrote my book and all the advice I would give to a new writer, including:

How to find your big idea
How to find a publisher
How to write a pitch
My 5 best tips for writing even when it's hard
How to manage imposter syndrome and worrying 'will anyone read this'
How to deal with writer's block + so much more

Listen now!

ORDER MY BOOK HERE: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 ways to reinvent yourself in your 20s (rerun) Apr 25, 2025

Show notes

If nothing else, our 20s are a time for reinvention and transformation. We become clearer and clearer about the version of us we want to be, and hopefully more confident around expressing our authentic elves, but sometimes this is interrupted by periods of boredom, stagnation, isolation and discomfort. These are all signs that something in our lives needs to change, and it needs to change now. In today's episode we break down five ways to reinvent yourself during your 20s, including: