The Psychology of your 20s

Of the thousands of psychology papers I’ve read for this podcast, these are five I think every 20 something should know about. Today, we’re exploring the research that could change how you think about feeling behind, getting rejected, finding love and chasing success. We discuss:
The two types of quarter life crisis and what each can teach us

Why your 20s don’t have to be the best years of your life

How rejection can increase your desire to take control

Why your friendships deserve as much attention as your romantic life

The hidden cost of tying your self-worth to money

Five studies, five massive themes for our 20s and so much to take away. Listen now!
Read the studies:
https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696818764144
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3332527/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12097955/
https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075251321385
https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167220910872
Watch on Netflix: HERE
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
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.

Why do certain things stop us in our tracks? A beautiful sunset, a painting, even the way light shines through the window in the morning. Where does this sense of beauty actually come from? Does it exist objectively in the world, or is it something our brains create? In this episode, we explore the psychology behind what makes something beautiful, and how the brain processes aesthetic experiences.
Watch on Netflix: HERE
We explore:
• The function of the aesthetic triad
• Why experiencing beauty can feel rewarding
• Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?
• Why familiarity, culture and personal experience can change what we find beautiful
• How nature generates a sense of awe
• Why we see beauty in ugliness
• Why we need to look for more beauty in the everyday
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/24768244/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3130765/
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-21454-002

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 a culture increasingly organised around productivity and individual choice, many of our repeated behaviours have become about efficiency rather than meaning. In this episode, we explore why even very small rituals - a meal, a walk, a song, a candle - can give shape and significance to ordinary life, particularly in our 20s.
Watch on Netflix: HERE
We explore:
Why rituals aren’t just religious or spiritual
Why performing rituals is an integral part of human behaviour
How rituals create belonging and maintain relationships
How predictable rituals can provide an anchor during uncertainty, overwhelm and periods of change
Why our 20s may particularly benefit from rituals
The importance of ritualising endings
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com
Our favourite sources:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1088868317734944
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S109051381500077X
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00084298241238680
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1545-5300.1992.00151.x

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 some people seem to move from relationship to relationship with barely any time in between, and why does being single feel almost impossible for them? In this bonus episode, we’re diving into the psychology behind relationship hopping (aka serial monogamy) and what’s really happening when someone craves commitment quickly, struggles with time alone, or keeps repeating the same cycle with different partners.
We explore:
• The role of attachment in serial monogamy
• Why artificial closeness is so appealing
• The pull of the infatuation cycle
• The brain chemistry of love, reward and attachment
• What this pattern can teach us about self-growth

Happy listening!
Watch on Netflix: HERE
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
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.

Content note: This episode includes discussions of exercise, dieting, weight loss and body image.
How do you learn to love exercise when it has always felt like punishment? In today’s more personal episode, I’m sharing how I completely changed my relationship with movement over the past three years, from barely moving to running half marathons and genuinely enjoying the gym.
Watch on Netflix: HERE
We discuss:
Why enjoyment became more important than discipline
Starting slowly and letting yourself stop
How I focused on progress that wasn't attached to my appearance
Removing comparison from your fitness journey
My running tips
Why taking a break doesn’t mean having to start all over again
Happy listening!
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
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.