In your 20s you're told to be as ambitious as you can be, go after your dreams, work hard, be delusional, pursue your passion at any cost. How can we do that without our lives and health crumbling? What is the balance between ambition and appreciation? In today's episode we bring on Amina AlTai, author of The Ambition Trap to talk about:

• Why having more ambition doesn’t always make you more successful
• How a scarcity mindset can ruin your 20s
• How to find your ‘zone of genius’
• When to say ‘no’ to something you really want to do
• How to lean into the slower seasons of life
• The miserable paradox of success
• When do you need to ‘lock in’ & when do you need to have fun?

If you've ever struggled with balancing your big goals with your desire to enjoy life, this episode is for you.

Buy Amina's book HERE

Follow Amina HERE

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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.

There is a huge emphasis on treating romance as the main marker of a successful life – from questions from family, to seemingly perfect online couples – it’s hard to believe anything else when society celebrates this kind of ideal.

In this episode, we look at how romance is often seen as the main focus of our 20s, what it can distract us from, and how we can start to approach it differently.

We explore:

• The social script of our 20s
• The role of milestone anxiety and FOMO
• How this can lead to us neglecting other areas of our lives, including our goals
• Emotional bypassing and avoiding the deeper work
• What a healthy approach to love looks like
• 5 tips to decentre romantic love

If you’ve ever felt like your life is on pause until your relationship status changes, this episode is for you.

ORDER MY BOOK: https://www.psychologyofyour20s.com/copy-of-book

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast
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.

We can be so fixed on a job, a person, an outcome that we fuse our identity to it – and, crucially, forget that we’re okay without it. In today’s bonus episode, we unpack detachment: why we cling so tightly to people and outcomes, what over-attachment does to our mind and mood, and how to loosen the grip in a way that feels calm, kind, and clear.
We explore:

• Why we become attached to certain people or outcomes
• The impact of becoming overly attached on our behaviours, thoughts and emotions
• The Buddhist concept of ‘non-attachment’
• How detaching from the outcome can keep us grounded
• The value of the Stoic mindset

Listen now!

ORDER MY BOOK

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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.

Going through a breakup is always going to be devastating. Heartbreak is one of the most gut-wrenching human experiences: it affects our brain, our body, our routines, our identity, and our sense of the future. Why does it hurt so much, and how do we actually get through it?

In this episode, we break down the psychology of surviving a breakup: the science, the emotions, and the practical tools that help you heal, find clarity, and eventually believe in love again.

We explore:

• The story of my TWO big breakups
• Why heartbreak activates the same neural pathways as physical pain
• The three psychological “waves” of a breakup and what to expect in each
• Why “what ifs,” longing and mind-pops keep us stuck
• How to support your healing with five research-backed strategies
• The psychology of rebounds, moving on, and knowing when you’re ready to date again

If you’re feeling lost, devastated, or convinced you’ll never love again, this episode will help you understand your pain, soften it, and slowly rebuild your sense of self.

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Watch on Youtube

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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.

We’ve all been there - telling ourselves that ‘life is short’ as we click add to cart. Whether it’s an expensive dinner, a holiday you can’t quite afford, or another ‘little treat’, doom spending has become the defining financial habit of our generation.

In this episode, we unpack why we spend when the world feels uncertain - the psychology, the emotion, and the cultural forces behind it. From dopamine and control to social media, fatalism, and escapism, we’ll explore how uncertainty reshapes our relationship with money and why buying things can feel like the only way to feel better.

We explore:

• Why spending can feel emotionally soothing and self-regulating
• How financial stress, uncertainty, and global instability fuel impulsive habits
• The rise of ‘little treat culture’ and the illusion of control
• The role of social media in pairing crisis with consumption
• Signs that your coping mechanism has turned into doom spending
• How to break the cycle - from doom saving to mindful spending

If you’ve ever felt the urge to spend when everything feels out of control, this episode is for you.

ORDER MY BOOK

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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.

Our 20s are sold to us as the decade of peak desire - full of passion, spontaneity, and effortless intimacy. But for so many of us, that isn’t the reality. When libido dips or fluctuates, it can feel confusing, isolating, and even shameful. In this episode, we ask why it is so common to struggle with libido in our 20s, what’s actually happening beneath the surface when desire feels distant, and how to make sense of the emotional and physical shifts that come with it.

We explore:

• How it feels when our libido fluctuates
• Why so many of us struggle with this in our 20s
• The dual control theory of sexual response
• Libido as a reflection of safety
• The role of hormones, stress and mental health
• Identity development and the impact of shame
• Tips to reconnect with pleasure

If you’ve ever wondered why you don’t feel the same drive as others seem to, this episode is for you.

ORDER MY BOOK

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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.

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 - self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed
• Why perfectionism often disguises itself as discipline
• How it’s linked to procrastination, burnout, and anxiety
• Where it develops - from conditional love, insecurity, and need for control
• Real-world costs on relationships, wellbeing and creativity
• Tools to reframe perfectionism

Listen now!

ORDER MY BOOK

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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.

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
• Why some people are more vulnerable to toxic habit loops
• The role of emotional regulation and self-soothing
• The four key mistakes that keep us stuck
• Practical tools to implement positive habits

If you’ve ever thought, ‘I know better… so why don’t I do better?’, this episode is for you.

ORDER MY BOOK

Watch on Youtube

Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg

Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast

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.