The Psychology of your 20s

This week we are discussing the ups and downs of living alone in your 20s: from the freedom and independence, to the loneliness and social isolation, financial anxiety and stress, but the authenticity and emotional maturity that comes with it. We talk about:

• Why being alone doesn't make you lonely
• Sliders versus deciders - why you should wait before moving in with a partner
• Cognitive distortions and overspending
• Lifestyle creep
• Habits for building social connection and community
• How to successfully live alone

All that and more, listen now!

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Feeling jealous over our partners past can feel highly irrational, but its still a feeling many of us have and contributes to a lot of obsessive and unhealthy behaviours like stalking their exes, asking intrusive questions, starting arguments in hopes of getting the reassurance we need. In today's episode, we talk about the psychology of retroactive jealousy, including its origins and how to move past your jealous feelings. We will talk about:

• How past relationships and trauma create jealousy
• Overthinking and anxiety
• Rejection sensitivity
• Self sabotage
• Interrupting mental compulsions

Listen now!

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow The Psychology of your 20s on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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Panic attacks are awful, they sneak up on us in the worst moments and make us feel overwhelmed by an invisible fear. In today's episode we are going to talk through the psychology of panic attacks including:

• Why they occur?
• Panic disorders vs. panic attacks
• The flight, fight, freeze or fawn response
• The car alarm analogy
• The function of anxiety and panic
• Anxiety avoidance vs. acceptance
• 7 evidence based tips for managing panic attacks

We also have a 7 minute meditation at the end of the episode that will talk you through a visualisation exercise for managing an actual panic attack. Listen now!

If you need immediate help please call your local crisis centre or access the following resources:

• 988 Mental Health Emergency Hotline (US)
• 13 11 14 Lifeline (Australia)
• https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline (UK)

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's my birthday. Let's talk about my fear of growing older.

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thepsychologyofyour20s

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Our 20s are one of the best times for us to change careers. Perhaps you're feeling burntout, bored, unmotivated, craving something bigger, something with purpose or better hours, a change from the life and job you currently have. In this episode we break down how we can change careers in our 20s, some of the challenges, how to manage the financial insecurity, the signs your old job is not right for you and discovering your true mission and purpose and life (even if it doesn't always revolve around your job and a pay check).

We are joined by the founder and CEO of The Career Contessa, host of the hit podcast and author, Lauren Goodwin who shares her years worth of advice and best tips.

Follow Career Contessa here: @CareerContessa

Listen to the podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0k0EzNNiLnWICq7gQuFQFg?si=3b84c545aea54800

Follow Jemma here: @jemmasbeg

Follow The Psychology of your 20s here: @thatpsychologypodcast

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acne has just as many emotional and mental symptoms as it does physical. Having acne in our 20s is a significant source of insecurity, frustration and hopelessness, impacting how we go about making new friends, dating, career opportunities and so much more. In this episode we break down the psychology of acne, investigating the myths about the causes of acne, the subsequent stigma towards acne, the mental consequences we are observing more and more, the impact of social media and facetune, along with how we can manage our self esteem in the face of chronic acne. Listen now!

The article I reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5029236/

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Sustaining a relationship has a lot more to do with the division of domestic, emotional and physical labour. A massive component is the mental load - the additional energy that goes into organising, scheduling and managing the daily tasks, chores and things that need to be done whilst also accounting for your partners needs. It's not a secret that women carry a lot more of the mental load than their male counterparts and in this episode we break down exactly why that is, how an unfair division of cognitive labour can lead to resentment and relationship breakdown and how we can address this in our relationships, including our friendships. Listen now!

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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The end of a relationship or a friendship can leave us with a lot of unanswered questions, especially when the split is sudden, out of the blue, and the other person is unresponsive. In other instances, we don't quite know what went wrong and are looking for answers. In today's episode we talk about the elusive myth that is closure: whether we need it, how to get it, and why we should not rely on others to provide us with permission to move on. We also discuss the closure cycle and the reasons we may THINK we are looking for closure, but are really looking for an excuse to reconnect. All of that and more, listen now!

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast: @thatpsychologypodcast

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A considerable question for those of us in our 20s is how do we create a good life? What does it mean to design a life we love and how exactly do we do that? In today's episode we break down five ways we can do this, including:

1. Deconstructing your old life for your new one + the Odyssey Plan
2. Prototyping your new life + the 15 minute rule
3. Addition through subtraction
4. Pursue daily joy
5. Positive future planning + dopamine scheduling

Listen now!

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

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Sometimes we become more attached to the idea of someone and their potential, than the reality of who they actually are. We begin to project our wants and desires on to them and ignore the red flags, the disappointments, the truth. This is what we call fantasy bonding and it prevents us from seeing someone for who they truly are, causes us to be lead along and invest in the wrong people. In this episode, we break down the psychology of fantasy bonding, including:

• The origins of fantasy bonding in childhood
• How a fantasy bond emerges
• Relationship intensity and attachment
• Why our fear of loneliness drives us into the wrong relationships
• The idealisation of our partners
• What happens when the fantasy fades
• How to avoid a fantasy bond

Listen now.

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Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.