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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

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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. 

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

The fear of missing out or not seizing every moment are some of the biggest worries we experience in our 20s. However, spending time alone isn’t the same as being lonely or doing nothing - in fact, it’s quite the opposite. In this episode, we explore why we resist being alone - but why learning to do so is psychologically positive, and can even be a superpower.
 
Watch on Netflix: HERE
 
• Why we culturally and socially villainise solitude
• How constantly being online interrupts our ability to be truly alone 
• The creative and emotional benefits of spending time alone
• Why our capacity to be alone is a reflection of our overall maturity 
• How we can embrace the power of solitude
 
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
 
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
 
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
 
For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com 
 
Our favourite sources: 
 
https://spsp.org/news-center/character-context-blog/social-costs-seeking-solitude 
https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts?language=en 
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/feb/02/quiet-please-the-remarkable-power-of-silence-for-our-bodies-and-our-minds 
 
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.

452. How to get better at being alone

Dating can bring out the psychologist in us. One delayed reply, one vague comment, and we try to decode someone’s attachment style, childhood wounds, and capacity for commitment. But while psychological language can help us make sense of relationships, it can also become a way to avoid the much harder truth - sometimes we simply don’t know yet. In this episode we look at why overanalysing feels so reassuring, especially when we have been hurt before, and how the search for hidden meaning can distract us from direct communication, being present, and the person actually in front of us.
 
Watch on Netflix: HERE
 
We explore:
• The difference between noticing patterns and control rumination
• Why dating uncertainty makes labels feel so appealing
• Why overanalysing often comes from fear rather than insight
• Why this can stop us from being vulnerable ourselves
• Why behaviour matters more than the story behind it
• How to slow the spiral and regain clarity, communication, and self-trust
 
Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
 
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
 
Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s
 
For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com 
 
Our favourite sources:
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_stop_overthinking_your_relationship 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X16300306?via%3Dihub 
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.75.2.545 
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-01742-003 
 
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.

451. Why you need to stop psychoanalysing the people you date

In this episode, we explore the psychology of the quarter life reinvention: the period that can come after the confusion, uncertainty and identity crisis of our early and mid-20s, when things finally begin to fall into place. We look at how the quarter life crisis can transform us, the stages we move through, and why sometimes everything has to fall apart before we can rebuild a life that feels more like our own.
 
We explore:
• The difference between a quarter life crisis and a quarter life reinvention
• The ‘locked in’ and ‘locked out’ forms of the quarter life crisis
• The four stages of the crisis
• The signs that you’re entering your reinvention era
• How experimentation, risk taking and new experiences help us rebuild
• The role of narrative psychology and rewriting the story you tell about your life
• Why learning to tolerate uncertainty may be the key to finally moving forward
 
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.

450. The psychology of the quarter life reinvention

What is the shadow self? And how do we meet ours? In today's episode we explore what it means to get curious about the shadow parts of ourselves. We take a grounded look at shadow work - where the idea came from, the layers of our psyche, and how the repressed parts of ourselves show up. 
 
We explore:
• What Jung meant by the shadow and the persona
• How the dark or disowned parts of ourselves can develop
• Why anger, neediness, ambition, or confidence can feel uncomfortable to acknowledge
• The role of projection, triggers and repeated patterns
• How to approach shadow work cautiously and with curiosity
 
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:
 
The book I spoke about: HERE
 
The YouTube video: HERE 
 
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.

449. The psychology of your shadow self

We're talking about reputation. On a fundamental level, our reputations are a signal of our qualities that make us worth associating with, and we tend to spend a large amount of time ruminating and even obsessing over what others think of us. In this episode, we explore why we need reputations as social creatures, understand why we can misinterpret others’ reputations, and think about what we can do to repair a bad reputation. 
 
We unpack: 
• Where our reputations come from
• Why two people can view the same person so differently 
• The halo effect and how appearance biases our perception of others
• How our reputations can change over time 
• Why we shouldn’t always believe what others say
• How we can repair a bad reputation
 
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/PMC8487743/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/ecology-of-minds/202509/what-makes-a-good-reputation https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349443219_The_halo_effect
 
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.

448. The psychology of reputation

I was recently diagnosed with PMOS, and with that came a lot of questions: why is my body like this, what caused it, will I be able to have kids, how can I fix it? There's a lot of information (and misinformation) online, so today I decided to sit down with an expert to ask all my burning questions on this condition. 
 
Watch on Netflix: HERE
 
Dr Hazel Wallace is a medical doctor, registered associate nutritionist, women's health expert, author and founder of the platform, The Food Medic. In this episode, we discuss: 
 
 • The origins of PMOS/PCOS 
 • Why we had to change the PCOS name 
 • What causes PMOS and whether it's genetic 
 • How PMOS intersects with psychology and mental health
 • The 5 things you should and shouldn't do if you have PMOS 
 • What actually helps 
 • How to deal with medical dismissal and misinformation
 
Happy listening! 
 
Dr Hazel's book HERE
 
Follow Dr Hazel 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.

447. The psychology of PMOS/PCOS ft. Dr Hazel Wallace

The term “Stockholm Syndrome” is used to explain why someone might defend, protect, or feel attached to a person who has harmed them - but why does this happen? In this bonus episode, we explore where the term came from, some famous cases, and how the mind functions to keep us safe.
 
We explore:
• The 1973 bank robbery
• Famous cases linked to Stockholm syndrome
• The role of appeasement
• How it relates to trauma bonding
• Why dependence breeds attachment
• How those experiencing Stockholm syndrome are supported
 
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://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2007.01112.x
 
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20008066.2022.2161038
 
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1080/00048670701261178
 
 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

446. The psychology of Stockholm Syndrome

Angel numbers have a way of showing up just when we need them. 111 symbolises new beginnings. 444 means divine protection. Why does our mind pay such close attention to these numbers, what is the history, and what is their impact from a psychological standpoint? In today's episode, we break down:
 
 • The ancient origins of angel numbers 
 • Why the founder of angel numbers now regrets them 
 • The meaning behind some of the most significant angel numbers
 • Why our brain pays close attention to symbolism 
 • The emotional comfort of angel numbers 
 • Why people feel threatened by angel numbers 
 • When angel numbers can become harmful
 
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.

444. The psychology of angel numbers

I think we all instinctively know if we find someone interesting… or not. But how can we cultivate the skills of being interesting to others? In this episode, we break down the science behind what makes people interesting, talk about some easy things we can all do to tap into what already makes us unique, and focus on one of life’s greatest conversational hacks - learning how to be truly interested in others. 
 
We explore: 
• Why we all love interesting people 
• How ‘digital saturation’ is making us more bored, and boring
• The importance of asking open-ended questions to unlock better conversations
• Why being truly unique is a status symbol 
• The power of learning to talk to strangers
• Why social skills are actually just social courage
 
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://tedbauer.medium.com/are-people-more-boring-now-98105e03e20c
 
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-12130-004
 
https://thevectorimpact.com/how-to-be-more-interesting/
 
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.

443. How to be more interesting

If anyone tells you that they’re not even a little bit insecure, they’re lying, in denial, or both. It’s a fact of life that we all feel insecure at times - about how we look, behave, our achievements, and whether we are liked by others. In this episode, we examine the psychology behind common insecurities, recognise how we can be our own worst enemies, and consider the ways we can come to accept that we are all flawed, and might not actually need ‘fixing’. 
 
We unpack: 
• The surprising evolutionary benefits that come with insecurity
• How our levels of insecurity change throughout our lives
• The ‘liking gap’, and why we think others like us less than they do 
• How being insecure can feed insecurity, in a vicious cycle 
• Why people pleasing and over confidence are often signs of insecurity 
• How we can address insecurities that negatively impact our lives
 
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://www.bps.org.uk/research-digest/insecurity-leads-us-underestimate-how-much-others-us
 
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228079585_Self-Esteem_Development_Across_the_Lifespan
 
https://www.centerforanxiety.org/what-is-hyper-independence-is-it-a-bad-thing/
 
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.

446. The psychology of Stockholm Syndrome

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