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A podcast that explains how everything is psychology. Even your 20s. Hosted by Jemma Sbeg, each Tuesday and Friday we deep dive into the science and psychology behind a topic, concept or universal experience that defines our 20s - from dating, to mental health, career anxiety, friendship, finances and all the growing pains associated with this decade. Listen now. 

 

My book is out NOW: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/general-clean 

For business enquires please email psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com

The Psychology of your 20s

Most people would know the term: dopamine. It's the world's most famous neurotransmitter, known for it's role in happiness and pleasure. What if I told you, most of us have it all wrong. In today's episode we break down the secret history and psychology of dopamine, including: 
 
 • The controversy around it's discovery
 • How it became known as the 'pleasure' hormone
 • Why that's actually not true
 • It's true role in movement, motivation and memory 
 • Myth-busting dopamine detoxes plus so much more
 
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 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

415. The secret history & psychology of dopamine...

When we’re ‘in a funk’, we might feel that things just aren’t going right for us, we can’t catch a break, and that life generally feels pretty flat. What’s more, we can tend to look at the world through a negative lens - which makes things worse. 
 
In this episode, we look at why we get stuck in a funk, how our approach to fix it can lead us astray, and how we can get ourselves out of one by honouring our soul needs, reconnecting with nature, and more.
 
We unpack:
• The key differences between being in a funk and clinical depression
• Why monotony and boredom keep us stuck
• The danger of telling yourself to just ‘snap out of it’
• The importance of honouring our ‘soul needs’ 
• What we can do to rewire our brain towards a brighter future
 
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.

414. How to get out of a funk

It’s easy to believe that being liked by as many people as possible is a positive attribute. But when we chase this, we risk compromising our sense of identity, alienating ourselves from others, and being confused and burnt out by a string of inauthentic connections. In this episode, we examine what drives us to people please, acknowledge our need for human connection, and learn to recognise how to shift unhealthy patterns towards healthier, self-soothing ones.
 
We explore: 
• What drives our need to belong
• The science behind why others don’t think about us as much as we imagine
• Why being a social chameleon can make others distrust you
• Why constant social monitoring is a waste of mental energy
• How we can reframe our thinking to recognise if we truly like someone, rather than just enjoy being liked
 
Watch on Netflix: HERE
 
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
 
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
 
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
 
For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com 
 
Our favourite sources: 
https://unwantedlife.me/the-spotlight-effect-and-social-anxiety-all-eyes-on-me
 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/when-kids-call-the-shots/201702/how-wanting-to-be-liked-gets-you-rejected
 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8405711/
 
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.

413. You're not for everyone? GOOD!

Where did this myth that our frontal lobe develops at 25 actually come from? What does the death penalty and Leonardo DiCaprio have in common? You've probably seen TikToks, videos, tweets, memes, but what is the truth about brain maturity? That is what we're breaking down today, including: 
 
 • Why brain development is a lot more complicated than a number
 • The specific role of the frontal lobe 
 • The early 2000s research that defined how we see brain development 
 • Why our brain actually develops in spurts 
 • The good news for 20 somethings 
 
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 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

412. Does your frontal lobe ACTUALLY develop at 25?

TW: this episode includes discussions of eating disorders. 
 
What happens when millions of people watch you grow up online? How do you navigate change, love and making mistakes in front of a massive audience? And how do you rediscover your creativity after creating content about your life, becomes your job? In today's episode we talk to one of the original YouTube 'it-girls', Arden Rose, about early fame, body image, art and her life lessons as she enters her 30s. We discuss: 
 
 • How making YouTube videos at 14 turned into a full-time job
 • The dark side of Hollywood and the entertainment industry 
 • The biggest opportunity she missed out on...and why 
 • Veganism, diet culture and self-esteem 
 • The path back to creativity
 • Her greatest pieces of advice for people in their 20s 
 • PLUS SO MUCH MORE 
 
Happy listening!
 
Watch on Netflix: HERE
 
Follow Arden here: @ardenrose 
 
Watch her YouTube HERE 
 
 
 
More links below (sorry)
 
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.

411. Growing up online, early fame and rediscovering your creativity ft. Arden Rose

Why does it suddenly feel like everyone has a diagnosis? From ADHD and autism to anxiety, trauma, burnout, and depression - mental health language is everywhere right now. But are rates actually rising? Or are more people finally being seen after years of being overlooked, misread, or excluded from the stereotype? In this episode, we unpack the psychology, politics, and culture of diagnosis: how diagnostic criteria have changed, why context matters, what social media has done to this conversation, and the tension between labels as affirming, or oversimplified.
 
We explore:
• What the data actually says about rising diagnosis rates
• Why historically missed groups are being recognised more now
• The role of context in shaping our experiences
• The risk of pathologising ordinary human struggle
• When scepticism is useful - and why it should be aimed at systems, not individuals
• Why a label can still be meaningful, helpful, and nobody else’s business
 
Watch on Netflix: HERE
 
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
 
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
 
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
 
For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com 
 
Our favourite sources: 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7422602/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4810039/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11747871/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10251666/
https://reference-global.com/article/10.58734/plc-2025-0009
 
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.

410. Why does everyone have a diagnosis these days?

It can feel like the world - and our future - has never been more precarious or frightening. It’s a very normal response to feel anxious about it - and in many ways, being concerned is just a sign that you’re alive, switched on, and care about the what’s going on around you. But what happens when this anxiety becomes overwhelming, and we’re consumed by worry about the future? In this episode, we unpack:
 
• Why we’re prone to anticipatory anxiety in our 20s
• The evolutionary reasons for catastrophic thinking 
• Why long-term anxiety rewires our brain 
• When it’s healthy - and not healthy - to worry 
• How to rebrand anxiety as excitement
 
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 
 
 
 
Or favourite sources: 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3086262/#:~:text=For%20some%20individuals%2C%20uncertainty%20about,%2C%20&%20Camerer%2C%202005
 
https://theconversation.com/how-chronic-stress-changes-the-brain-and-what-you-can-do-to-reverse-the-damage-133194
 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24364682/
 
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.

409. How to manage your anxiety about the future

It’s not a hot take to say that most of us are incredibly addicted to our phones. But when our usage bleeds into full-blown ‘technoference’ - technology interference - there can be significant, harmful consequences. In this episode, we explore how phones can harm our friendships and romantic relationships, including:
 
• How phones are replacing in-person interaction 
• Why we can't help but be addicted
• The impact of 'phone snubbing' on our loved ones
• How phones are killing our sex lives
• The ways we can break our habits and find our way back to intimacy
 
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 
 
 
 
Our favourite sources from this episode:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jan/31/age-of-intimacy-famine-interact-with-phones-rather-than-loved-ones 
www.ericpickersgill.com/Removed 
https://www.sellcell.com/blog/phone-addiction-statistics-watch-out-your-phone-addiction-is-making-your-dating-sex-life-toxic/ 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

408. Are our phones killing intimacy?

We are bombarded with ideas about how we should look, behave, and be. But instead of trying to constantly strive for the societal ideal, we can cut through the noise another way - and that’s by cultivating self-love. The funny thing is, psychology actually shows us that the more confident and self-loving we are, the more attractive we become. It’s a win-win… if we can get there. Today, we're going to talk about how loving ourselves makes us more attractive.
 
We unpack: 
• The power of the mind-body link and self-esteem
• Why plastic surgery might not make us happy 
• The damaging physical effects of negative self-talk
• How simple behavioural changes affect how others see us
• Why cultivating self-love is the greatest gift we can give ourselves
 
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.

407. Loving yourself, will make you more attractive

Your 20s are sold to you as the “best years of your life” - which is hilarious, considering how many of us spend them underpaid, overthinking, heartbroken, living in transitional housing, and finding a new identity every 6 months. So what does it actually mean to ‘romanticise your 20s’? In this episode, we break down romanticising as a real psychological skill - how your brain constructs meaning, why attention shapes what feels like reality, and why building a coherent life story matters most when your life feels messy.
 
We explore:
• Why your attention changes your experience
• The neuroscience and cognition of meaning-making
• The role of emergent adulthood
• Why narrative psychology is so important
• Five grounded ways to romanticise your life
 
Watch on Netflix: HERE
 
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
 
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
 
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
 
For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com 
 
Our favourite sources: 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4324396/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224545.2025.2563539
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3045747/
 
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.

406. How to romanticise your 20s (even when they suck)

The idea that depression is caused by a “chemical imbalance” is one of the most widely accepted explanations in modern mental health ... but is it actually true?
 
In this bonus episode, we unpack where the chemical imbalance theory came from, how it became the dominant narrative around depression, and why many researchers today believe the story is far more complicated. Including: 
 
 • 

The academic and applied history of this theory 
 • 
 • 

What research says about antidepressants vs placebo
 • 
 • 

Why the “low serotonin” explanation may be too simple
 • 
 • 

The psychological and social drivers of depression
 • 
 • 

Why meaning, connection, and environment matter for mental health
 • 
 • 

Why depression treatment often works best when it’s multi-layered
 • 
 
Happy listening!
 
Watch on Netflix
 
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.

395. Is depression just a chemical imbalance?

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