The Psychology of your 20s

The Psychology of your 20s

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

Episodes

November 16, 2025 34 mins

We all have habits we wish we could change - patterns we repeat even when we know they’re hurting us. So why is it so hard to stop? In this episode, we explore the psychology behind toxic habits. How they form, why they become automatic, and what they’re actually doing for us emotionally.

We explore:

•        How habits become wired through repetition and reward
•       &n...

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We’ve all heard someone say, “I’m such a perfectionist”, like it’s a badge of honour. But what does perfectionism really mean - and what’s hiding beneath it?

In today’s bonus episode, we unpack the psychology of perfectionism: the fear, the origins, and how to finally let go of “never good enough”.

We explore:

•        The three types of perfectionism - ...

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Have you ever met someone who always seems to see themselves as the one who’s been wronged - or maybe noticed that pattern in yourself? The sense that life is happening to you, not for you? It might not just be negativity - it could be a victim mentality, a learned way of seeing the world that often begins as a form of protection.

In this episode, we take a look at the psychology behind the victim mindset - why it develops, h...

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November 6, 2025 30 mins

We’re always told that gratitude is the route to happiness – that we should be grateful for every experience we have. But when life feels like it’s falling apart, gratitude can feel less like a comfort and more like pressure. In reality, gratitude and pain often have to coexist.

In this episode, we ask whether gratitude actually does make us happier - what it really is, how it rewires the brain, and why it sometim...

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November 3, 2025 43 mins

It sounds simple. Split the rent, share space, maybe finally stop packing an overnight bag. But living together is one of the biggest relationship transitions of our twenties, and it brings with it some very real psychological, emotional, and even social shifts.
In this episode, we unpack the questions around living with your partner in your 20s - what it means, what it changes, and what it reveals. 

We explore:
• &...

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November 1, 2025 21 mins

You know that feeling when time disappears, your focus sharpens, and everything just clicks? That’s what we often call ‘flow state’ - a powerful experience of total immersion where effort feels effortless. In today’s bonus episode, we uncover what flow really is, how it works, and why finding it might just change how you think about focus and fulfilment.

We explore:

•       What the flow ...

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October 30, 2025 48 mins

Extreme thinness is back in trend (again) so today, we explore the psychology behind why and the impact its having? In this episode, we'll discuss the rise of skinnytok and how this so-called ‘wellness’ version of thinness convinces us to be smaller, neater, cleaner, more controlled.

What to expect:

•        How to tell whether content is skinnytok aligned
•        Li...

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October 27, 2025 39 mins

Have you ever felt that urge for payback? Revenge is one of the oldest, most universal human instincts. It seems like it promises justice, balance, or even peace. But why does it so often leave us feeling worse, not better?

In this episode, we dive into the psychology of revenge - what drives it, what it costs us, and why our brains find it so hard to let go.

We explore:

•        Why revenge feels so intoxi...

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October 23, 2025 34 mins

Everyone is secretly searching for the perfect relationship, but what if your relationship is just 'good enough'? What if you feel secure, or fine about the person you're with but secretly want more? In today's episode we break down what it means to settle in your 20s, including: 

  • The pressure to be 'coupled up' during your 20s
  • How milestone anxiety creates unfulfilled relationships 
  • What settling looks and feels lik...
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October 20, 2025 38 mins

We think of failure as a terrible thing or something to be avoided. But when you learn to fall in love with failure, a whole new level of growth occurs that will have you seeing progress faster than ever. In our 20s, the so called failure-decade, we talk about how you can learn to fail, including: 

  • The reasons we fear failure 
  • Why our definition of success is inaccurate and socially conditioned 
  • The relationship...
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October 18, 2025 30 mins

We’ve all heard the term thrown around – in books, in TV dramas, in news articles – we’re taught to be scared of it. But rarely do we consider what it actually means. In today’s bonus episode, we take a look at sociopathy.

We explore:

  • Differentiating sociopathy and psychopathy
  • Common misconceptions
  • Early origins of the term
  • The role of self-awareness and masking in sociopathy
  • Whether all sociopath...
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October 16, 2025 38 mins

Have you ever felt like everything in your late twenties is suddenly up for grabs - your relationships, your career, even who you thought you were? It might be your Saturn return - a period of upheaval, self-reflection, and big life questions that’s as much psychological as it is astrological.

In this episode, we look at the psychology behind Saturn returns - why this age feels so turbulent, what’s happening in our mind...

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October 13, 2025 46 mins

Have you ever felt like the world around you isn’t quite real, or like you’re watching your life from the outside? Have you ever driven somewhere and suddenly wondered how you got there? It might be dissociation - a surprisingly common psychological experience that can be both protective and, at times, unsettling.

In this episode we look at the psychology behind dissociation – what is going on in our bodies and br...

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October 9, 2025 46 mins

Friendships should be a source of joy – people who just make life lighter. But not all friendships feel that way. Some leave us drained, insecure, or questioning our worth. And it can be hard to admit when a friendship has become toxic. Learning to recognise when a friendship is no longer healthy, and how to navigate that shift, is a crucial part of protecting your well-being and building a life that feels aligned.
In this...

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Today I'm reflecting on some of the lessons I've been taking from my early 20s. We all have regrets about things we wish we'd done differently or not done at all, and I'm hoping you can learn from mine. 

We talk about everything from bad financial decisions, ghosting friends, staying in relationships farrr too long, to impulse buying, ignoring gut feelings and fighting with family. Listen now to hear all ten! 

ORDER MY BO...

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October 2, 2025 40 mins

Hitting rock bottom is one of the most painful human experiences - when the future is blurry, the past feels heavy, and you barely recognize the person staring back in the mirror. Maybe it’s the end of a relationship, losing your job, battling addiction, or simply feeling like everything you built has crumbled. In this episode, we explore what those lowest points really feel like, why we sometimes end up there, and how, again...

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In this bonus release, I am sharing an episode of my other podcast, MANTRA. This week's mantra is I Am Not Here to Manage Other People’s Emotions. It's a common trap to feel responsible for the feelings of those around us, often at the expense of our own emotional well-being. But true empathy means holding space for others without taking on their emotional burden or feeling obligated to fix their feelings.

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Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is one of the most misunderstood mental health conditions, clouded by stigma and misinformation. In this episode, we take a compassionate, research-based look at what BPD really is, where it comes from, and how people living with it can find healing and stability. From exploring the biological underpinnings and role of trauma, to the impact on relationships and the remarkable effectiveness of t...

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September 27, 2025 25 mins

From Myers-Briggs to the Big Five, almost all of us at some stage have done a personality test. Whether it labelled you an introvert or extrovert, a big thinker or a small details individual, it's easy to get swept up in the idea that these tests can tell us all we need to know about our personality and identity. But are they legit, and what is the science behind them? In today's episode, we break down: 

  • The scientific ba...
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September 25, 2025 42 mins

In our twenties, the feedback sources that once defined our worth - grades, report cards, and parental praise - start to disappear. This leaves a void, which many of us instinctively turn to external sources like social media, career achievements, and the opinions of others, to fill. And while this external validation isn’t inherently bad, we need to be mindful of refilling our own sense of self before becoming reliant on oth...

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Host

Jemma Sbeghen

Jemma Sbeghen

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