Ever found yourself hitting play on that song, and instantly, a wave of emotion hits you, or you’re transported back to a forgotten summer, a specific laugh, a past version of yourself? It feels like magic, right? But beneath those goosebumps and surges of feeling lies an incredible, intricate psychological dance. In today's episode, we’re diving deep into the psychology of music – exploring why this universal language speaks directly to our nervous system, how it shapes our memories and identity, and critically, how we use it to cope (for better or worse) in our twenties.

We explore: 

• Why music evokes a full body experience
• Music and nostalgia 
• How music develops and shapes our identity
• When music can act as a coping mechanism
• How to use music to shift your mood and focus 

If you've ever felt like your life has a custom soundtrack, or if you can't imagine a day without your headphones, this episode is for you.

 

Listen to Mantra: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ckds0BoJDDpODInN9cWcc?si=b6ad5d555c1940e0 

 

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.

Why does personal growth sometimes feel like a quiet loss? Ever look back at an old photo and feel a strange mix of nostalgia and sadness for the person you once were? You're evolving, becoming stronger, wiser, but there's still a strange ache for the person you used to be. In today's episode, we explore the psychology behind this often-unspoken phenomenon of grieving our past selves.

Things we discuss:

• What it means to grieve a former 'you’
• The role of disenfranchised grief 
• The ‘nostalgia trap’
• Our evolving sense of self and the fluidity of identity
• Why we romanticise the past
• How we can integrate past versions of ourselves and embracing growth

If you've ever felt that subtle pang for a past version of yourself, this episode is for you!

Listen to Mantra: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ckds0BoJDDpODInN9cWcc?si=b6ad5d555c1940e0 

 

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.

"Sorry, can I just say something?", "sorry to bother you!", "oh, sorry!" - sound familiar? If you find yourself saying "sorry" for taking up space, having an opinion, or even when someone else bumps into you, you're not alone. That tiny, five-letter word, meant for genuine remorse, often becomes a reflex, a way to make ourselves smaller, more agreeable, and to diffuse a discomfort that sometimes only exists in our own minds. In today’s episode, we’re exploring chronic apologising - we'll uncover how this seemingly polite habit can actually be a sign of deeper anxieties, impact our self-worth, and shape our experiences in our 20s. Things we discuss:

• Why apologising goes beyond politeness
• Ties to self-worth, anxiety and attachment
• Over-apologising as barriers to true connection
• Reclaiming your voice in your career
• Practical steps to break the habit 

If you’ve ever felt like you're apologising for your very existence, or if "sorry" has become your default setting, this episode is for you. 

Listen to my NEW PODCAST, Mantra: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ckds0BoJDDpODInN9cWcc?si=ea4a5f5a61e5414a 

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.

Ever wondered why everyone seems to break up just before 28? Or why your friend who was just about to settle down with her boyfriend of 7 years is suddenly single and wanting to go out clubbing again? Or why you suddenly realised your long term relationship wasn't for you, and found yourself in Europe or on 4 dates in a row the next week? It's because of post long-term relationship puberty: a term that describes the rapid personality change that takes place in people who have been in a relationship for most of their 20s, but suddenly find themselves single in their late 20s, ready to make up for lost time. In today's episode we describe the end of long-term relationships in our 20s, including: 

• The 7 year itch
• Why we suddenly realise someone isn't right for us 
• The growth that happens after a breakup
• Why people settle in their 20s
• The pros and cons of single life vs. dating life 
• How to not go back to your ex 
• How to embrace your single era 

Listen now!

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

 

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.

Why are we so obsessed with the dark side of life? From true crime and horror movies to disaster documentaries and haunted house tours, morbid curiosity is everywhere - but what does it actually say about us? In today’s episode, we explore the psychology of morbid curiosity - why we’re drawn to frightening, disturbing, and even grotesque content, and how this strange pull might be more adaptive than we think.

We discuss:

• What morbid curiosity really is, and how it shows up in daily life
• The four types of morbid curiosity (and which ones you might lean toward)
• How personality traits like openness and sensation seeking shape our preferences
• Why some people find comfort in horror, and others find control in true crime
• The evolutionary and neurological roots of this phenomenon
• How morbid curiosity can turn maladaptive (and where the line is)

Whether you're deep into Reddit rabbit holes or just wondering why you can't look away from crime scene documentaries, this episode is for you. We explore the fascinating science behind fear, survival, and our cultural obsession with darkness - and why it might say more about our strength than our weakness.

 

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

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

For business: [email protected]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It is our 300th episode and 4 YEARS since The Psychology of your 20s first began. To celebrate, I'm releasing one of my most requested topics ever that has nothing to do with psychology: how do you start a podcast? More broadly, why is it a good idea? What do I wish I'd known when I'd started? How much does the gear cost? What happens if no one listens? All your burning questions on my journey and where to start will be covered (along with a few tears of gratitude), thank you for 300 episodes and giving me the best job ever!

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

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.

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: [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.

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: [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 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: [email protected] 

 

*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. 

 

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 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: 

1. The power of the pause
2. How assertive communicators use their body 
3. Self authoring language 
4. Visualisation! Visualisation! Visualisation! 
5. 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: [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.