The Psychology of your 20s

Copyright: 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia

Latest Episodes:

463. The 5 reasons you’re not as behind as you think Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

In our 20s, we’re all vulnerable to feeling that we’re falling behind. Whether it be chasing the perfect job, relationship, friends, living situation, trip abroad, or something else, we’re led to believe that there’s a certain window of time that we should be achieving certain milestones within. In this episode, we unpack:

• Why social media makes us compare ourselves with ‘the best’
• The figures behind what people in their 20s really have - and don’t
• How milestone anxiety and the social clock make us panic
• How we can reframe envy as a useful compass
• Why life circumstances mean we might have a different ‘starting line’ to other people
• Why you’re not delulu - things really are getting harder!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Our favourite sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40888380/
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/uk/savings/average-savings-by-age-in-uk/
https://jessup.edu/blog/cultural-impact/why-do-adults-adhere-to-a-social-clock/#:~:text=Social%20psychologist%20Bernice%20Neugarten%20identified,purchase%20a%20home%2C%20and%20retire

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.

462. The truth about the Stanford Prison Experiment Sep 27, 2026

Show notes

The Stanford Prison Experiment is one of the most famous studies in psychology, but also one of the most controversial. In this bonus episode, we look at what actually happened in the basement of Stanford University in 1971.

We explore:

The landscape of psychological research at the time of the study
How participants were selected and assigned roles
The theatrical procedure of the study
The unexpected outcomes and why it was stopped early
Ethical lessons around consent and researcher responsibility
Why the study is so influential to our understanding of institutions, power and authority

The Debunking Psychology series: HERE

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Our favourite sources:
http://pdf.prisonexp.org/ijcp1973.pdf
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/heroism-science/vol10/iss1/5/
https://gen.medium.com/the-lifespan-of-a-lie-d869212b1f62

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

461. 10 things I NEEDED 21 year old me to know Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

If I could sit down with my 21-year-old self, there are a few things I would definitely want to say. Today, I'm going to say them, like 'don't even THINK about moving in with that guy, use your savings account, care less about grades' and a few more. I also asked you guys, the listeners, about your biggest regrets from your early 20s so we can all learn from each other (how nice is that).

Watch on Netflix: HERE

We discuss:

Why the right relationship should expand your life, not shrink it
Why you shouldn’t rush into adulthood
Financial avoidance and learning to actually save
Why audacity can matter just as much as hard work
Caring less about grades and more about experience
Why nobody can tell you exactly how to live your 20s

Happy listening and drop yours below!

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

460. The psychology of 'good girl' syndrome Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Many of us are conditioned to believe that being described as kind, nice, accommodating and generous are the key to overall happiness. But when these traits veer into Good Girl Syndrome, we can be left with a pathological need to please others, be hypervigilant towards others’ emotions, and ultimately suppress how we really feel. In this episode, we explore the origins of Good Girl Syndrome, understand the mental and physical cost of emotional suppression, and learn how to challenge this early social conditioning.

Watch on Netflix: HERE

We unpack:

Why women are particularly vulnerable to Good Girl Syndrome
How trying to be liked shows up personally and professionally
The link between a high score on the Silencing the Self Scale and depression
Why it can be harder to break Good Girl habits as we get older
The ways we can challenge Good Girl Syndrome traits

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

Our favourite sources:

https://reachlink.com/advice/general/good-girl-syndrome-why-compliance-destroys-mental-health/
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/love-sex/relationships/a34642791/good-girl-complex/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362662346_Appendix_A_The_Silencing_the_Self_Scale

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

459. I'm so tired of being ambitious Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

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: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

458. Can embracing stress actually help us? Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

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

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s

For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

457. The psychology of 'false' memories Sep 12, 2026

Show notes

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: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

456. Why does feeling sad sometimes feel so good? Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

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: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

455. Why does time start flying in our 20s? Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

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: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

454. The oedipus complex Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

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: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.