What might be seen as a ‘boring’ life is often just a life that wouldn’t be as popular on Instagram. In a world that glamorises chaos, spontaneity and constant stimulation, we need to create lives that truly nourish us, provide safety, and align with who we really are. In this episode, we explore the psychology behind why so many of us begin craving calm as we get older, why that can feel oddly threatening, and why slowing down may be one of the best things we can do for our brains.

We explore:
•        Why many of us start craving a more manageable, peaceful life
•        Why this can create fear, guilt, or cognitive dissonance in our 20s
•        The pressure from social media to make youth look chaotic and exciting
•        The role of FOMO in feeling disconnected from our real preferences
•        Why our brains crave novelty
•        What a ‘boring’ life is actually made of: boundaries, routine, presence, and self-trust

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.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/abs/differential-changes-in-impulsivity-and-sensation-seeking-and-the-escalation-of-substance-use-from-adolescence-to-early-adulthood/3542107D68176F9B55BC0A2DB212C701

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563213000800

https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn1052

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1250830

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.

When we go for a job interview, it can feel as if our entire existence is being judged. It can come down to the feeling of someone else getting to call the shots on whether we are intellectually competent at best, or personally desirable at worst. In this episode, we’ll explore why job interviews can feel so stressful, identify why positive first impressions are vital, and discuss some psychological hacks to help us nail them. 

We explore:

• How job interviews trigger our need for social approval 
• The Yerkes-Dodson Law, or how excessive pressure can make us perform worse
• Why we can’t trust our judgement about how an interview went
• Why being likeable makes it more likely you’ll get hired
• How easy psychological tricks can make us feel more confident

Our favourite sources: 
https://www.catharticspacecounseling.com/blog/how-to-handle-uncertainty-without-losing-your-mindwww.researchgate.net/publication/313878823_The_importance_of_first_impressions_in_a_job_interview

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/beyond-stress-and-burnout/202206/the-effects-of-stress-when-interviewing

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.

Living with a chronic illness in your 20s can feel like carrying an invisible weight that nobody else can see. Beyond the hospital appointments, surgeries, medications and diagnoses, there is a hidden psychological burden: the anxiety, grief, uncertainty, identity struggles and resilience required to keep moving forward when your body feels beyond your control.

In this week's episode, I sit down with content creator, advocate and broadcaster Nikki Lilly to discuss what it's really like growing up with a rare medical condition, navigating facial differences, online bullying, and building a meaningful life despite constant uncertainty.

We discuss:

• The hidden psychological impact of chronic illness
•  Medical trauma, PTSD and the long road to healing
• How chronic illness affects your relationship with your body
• Online bullying, discrimination and appearance-based judgment
• Plus her time at the Oscars and her vision for her future

Happy listening!

Watch on Netflix: HERE

Listen to Live A Little: HERE

Follow Lilly on Instagram: @nikkililly

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.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is one of the most famous theories in psychology. We've all seen the pyramid. We've all been told that before we can become our best selves, we need to climb through five levels of human needs, from food and safety all the way to self-actualisation. But what if that's not actually what Maslow believed?

In this bonus episode, as part of our series myth-busting psychology, we're uncovering the surprising truth behind one of psychology's most iconic ideas, including:

• Why Maslow never actually drew a pyramid
• The forgotten sixth level of the hierarchy
• The Indigenous Blackfoot origins of the theory
• Whether self-actualisation is really the highest human goal
• Why the hierarchy isn't as rigid as we've been taught
• What modern psychology says about the evidence behind Maslow's ideas

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.

Most of us will spend the majority of our adult lives working. So why does the traditional 9–5 leave so many people feeling exhausted, trapped, unfulfilled, or quietly wondering: is this really it?

In this episode, we explore the psychology behind why the 9–5 can feel so unnatural for some people, why work often becomes the centre of our identity, and what to do when the life you've been told should make you happy simply doesn't.

This includes:

• Why the 9–5 often feels so draining
• The psychology of role engulfment and losing yourself to work
• The personality traits that predict whether you'll enjoy traditional employment
• The importance of hobbies, purpose, novelty, and community
• When it's time to consider a different path
• Practical advice for anyone dreaming of working for themselves

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.

Superstitions can seem irrational on the surface, but beneath them is something incredibly human - the need for meaning, comfort, and a sense of control in an uncertain world. In this episode, we explore the psychology of superstition - why the mind creates these beliefs, why they can feel so reassuring, and what they reveal about anxiety, ritual, hope, and the stories we inherit.

We explore:
•        Historical origins of common superstitions
•        The role of pattern recognition and gut feelings
•        How rituals soothe anxiety and create a sense of certainty
•        When superstitions become self-fulfilling and shape performance
•        How magical thinking overlaps with OCD and anxiety
•        Why it's important to create our own magic in our 20s 

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/psychologist/everyday-magic-superstition

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797610372631

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-and-cognitive-psychotherapy/article/abs/magical-thinking-in-obsessivecompulsive-disorder-and-generalized-anxiety-disorder/AAA4404A26637024E2E5D01B3F133928

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 do we become obsessed with people who don't want us back? Even when we know it will never work? Even when we know there's no convincing them? In this episode, we unpack the psychology behind unrequited love, limerence, longing, and the irresistible pull of unavailable people, including:

• The neuroscience of craving, attraction, and obsession
• How intermittent reinforcement keeps us emotionally hooked
• Jacques Lacan's "object of desire" theory
• Why high achievers often struggle with unrequited love
• The role of limerence, fantasy, and idealisation
• The Zeigarnik Effect and our need for closure
• Practical strategies to finally move on and let go
• Creating your own closure when none is given
• Plus so so much more 

If you've ever found yourself unable to stop thinking about someone who doesn't feel the same way, this episode is for you. Together, we'll explore why it happens, what it reveals about us, and how to break free from the cycle

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 all have something about our behaviour or our lives we really want to change. But every time we go to try, we find we lose motivation very quickly and end up back where we started with the behaviour still in tact. Whether it's quitting smoking, exercising more, wanting to eat healthier, sleep better, stop gossiping, be a better partner; bad habits usually all have the same psychology. 

In today's episode we invited on Harvard-trained behavioural scientist & BCG Managing Director, Julia Dhar, to give us the step by step guide to changing bad habits. We talk about: 

• Where bad habits come from? 
• Why bad habits stick?
• What's happening in our brain when we can't quit a bad habit?
• The 3 principles of behaviour change you need to know to change 
• How to help OTHERS change when they don't want to?
• Why your approach to failing will determine if you're successful 
• Plus much more! 

Happy listening! 

Buy Julia's book here: How Change Really Works

Watch her TedTalk here: How to Disagree Productively 

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.

Your hobbies may be just as important as your friendships in your 20s. But whilst you may dedicate 10-15 hours a week to your friends, most of us can go a week or two without actually performing our hobbies. Why is that, and what is the consequence?In today's episode we break down the psychology of why our hobbies are so important, including: 

• The debate around what makes a hobby 
• How many hobbies do you actually need? 
• How much time should you spend doing your hobbies? 
• The Rule of Four for hobbies
• The psychological benefits 
• The 3 major reasons we struggle to perform our hobbies
• How to find time, inspiration and motivation for your hobbies, and more

Listen now if you want to make more of your leisure time! 

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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’re all familiar with the story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up: Peter Pan. But when someone displays similar traits in real life - issues with commitment, responsibilities, and adulting in general - they might be experiencing what’s referred to as Peter Pan Syndrome. In this episode, we break down the psychology of Peter Pan Syndrome, including why it happens, the frustration it causes those in its orbit, and how to learn to grow up - at last.

We unpack: 
• The key characteristics of Peter Pan Syndrome
• Why being coddled or never disciplined as a child can lead to struggles with ‘adulting’ 
• How ‘Wendy Syndrome’ can act as an enabler for Peter Pan Syndrome
• What it feels like to date someone with Peter Pan Syndrome
• How to overcome Peter Pan Syndrome

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: 
www.health.clevelandclinic.org/peter-pan-syndrome

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-do-life/201605/the-peter-pan-syndrome 

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1006.8462&rep=rep1&type=pdf

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.

Being your own harshest critic can feel productive, protective, even familiar, but over time, it becomes less of a motivator and more of a cage. In this episode, we explore the psychology of self-hatred - where it begins, how it becomes a deeply ingrained, and what it actually steals from us over time. 

We explore:

•        How early experiences shape the inner critic
•        Why self-hatred can feel protective
•        The myth of cruelty as a motivator
•        The neural pattern of self-hatred
•        The role of self sabotaging
•        6 practical tips to build a better relationship with yourself

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://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2044-8341.2011.02044.x

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167211410246

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0033904

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.