The Psychology of your 20s

Why is there so much pressure for your wedding to be the best day of your life? And what happens when that pressure gets in the way of actually enjoying it? Today, we’re unpacking the psychology of weddings: the expectations, money, family dynamics and friendship tensions that come with saying “I do”. Watch on Netflix: HERE We explore: Why the “perfect wedding” can leave us feeling disappointed How weddings became such extravagant events Social media, comparison and the pressure to spend more The surprising relationship between wedding spending and divorce Why weddings can expose cracks in our friendships The psychology of elopements ... Whether you’re planning a wedding, attending your sixth this year or wondering whether to skip the whole thing, let’s talk about keeping the celebration from overshadowing the relationship. 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 blush, we look away, we replay the moment for hours (or years) after it happened, becoming convinced that everyone noticed far more than they probably did. Embarrassment is an interesting and complex emotion, but it can help us recognise social expectations and communicate how our behaviour affects others. Watch on Netflix: HERE We explore:•        When we first develop the capacity to feel embarrassed•        Why we blush and the role of embarrassment in trust•        Why some of us feel embarrassment more than others•        The role of rumination •        The psychological and social role of embarrassment •        How we can form a better relationship with it Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s For business: [email protected]  Our favourite sources: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0025403 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-psychiatry/article/not-intended-still-embarrassed-social-anxiety-is-related-to-increased-levels-of-embarrassment-in-response-to-unintentional-social-norm-violations/F4143AB3B88D41FB18F9962696A77151 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/desc.70024  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.

Does the taxi cab theory actually explain why some people suddenly become ready to settle down, or is it just another dating myth? In this episode, we’re breaking down the psychology behind the infamous, Sex and The City taxi cab theory and asking whether timing really can determine who we end up with. We explore commitment readiness, the social clock, why our relationship priorities change as we age, and the painful psychology of watching someone give their next partner everything they refused to give you. Watch on Netflix: HERE We discuss: • The psychology behind the taxi cab theory• Why someone can suddenly become “ready” for commitment• The foster girlfriend phenomenon• Why timing matters, but compatibility matters more• How to tell when someone is genuinely serious about you• Why waiting for someone’s “light to switch on” can keep you stuck 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.

In this bonus episode, we’re looking at the placebo effect - what it is, how it became an important part of medical research, and why an inactive treatment can sometimes produce genuine changes how we feel, and what this tells us about the relationship between the brain, body and experience of receiving care. The FULL Debunking Psychology playlist: HERE  We explore:•        How placebos became an important part of scientific research•        Some of the earliest placebo experiments•        Why our expectations can change the way we experience symptoms•        Whether the placebo effect produces real, biological changes•        Why the ritual of receiving care may itself influence how we feel•        Whether placebo effects represent genuine, lasting change 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.

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: [email protected]  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.

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: [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.

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: [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 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: [email protected]  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 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.