The Psychology of your 20s

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.

Why does dancing in a crowd feel so good? What is the emotional allure of the dance floor, the club scene, the music? Today, we’re exploring the psychology of clubbing, from the physiological rush of a beat drop to the role it plays in making the most of our 20s.
Watch on Netflix: HERE
We discuss:
How music and dance influence our mood
Collective effervescence: the feeling of being part of something bigger
Why clubs feel freeing for some and overwhelming for others
Alcohol, inhibition and “hangxiety”
Clubbing as a coming-of-age ritual
FOMO, nostalgia and why our relationship with nightlife changes
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.

Is a 'spark' all that it takes to be compatible in the long-term? What about sharing the same interests, personality or sense of humour? Or is it something more deep and intangible? In today’s episode, we explore what ACTUALLY makes two people right for each other, and why the things that draw us together aren’t always the things that keep us together.
Watch on Netflix: HERE
We discuss:
Chemistry versus long-term compatibility

Why shared values matter more than shared hobbies

The importance of feeling understood, appreciated and responded to (i.e the Gottman's theory of responsiveness)

How the belief in soulmates can shape your relationship

The Four Horsemen that erode connection

What an argument can reveal about your future together

Whether you’re dating someone new or reflecting on a long-term relationship, this episode explores what it means to build a love that lasts, through change, conflict and the thousands of little choices we make along the way.
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.