The Psychology of your 20s

Productivity advice often tells us to push harder, wake up earlier, and squeeze more out of every hour. But in this episode, we take a different approach. Instead of treating productivity like a test of willpower, we look at the psychology behind focus, procrastination, energy, motivation, and rest - and why working with your brain is usually more effective than trying to bully it into action.
We explore 7 tips for productivity, including:
• How small wins can create momentum
• Why the hardest task often needs to come first
• How to work with your natural energy patterns
• Habit stacking for boring tasks
• Why 20 focused minutes can be more useful than waiting for the perfect window
• How ‘shoot your shot’ days can move you closer to the life you want
• Why real rest is essential for sustainable productivity
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://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-295X.84.2.191
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674
https://www.ted.com/talks/saundra_dalton_smith_the_real_reason_why_we_are_tired_and_what_to_do_about_it

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.

TW: Discussions of miscarriage/pregnancy
Grace Beverley is a founder, an entrepreneur, and a seasoned professional when it comes to pursuing the ideas your have, but also knowing when to slow down, recover from burnout and let yourself be vulnerable.
In today's episode we discuss her journey from studying music at Oxford to launching over five businesses, and her next chapter as a parent. We talk about:
The best career advice for your 20s
How to start a business and her biggest lessons from early failures
Why love should make you feel safe
Her pregnancy loss story
The importance of being vocal about what you believe in
How to recover from burnout
Listen now!
Watch on Netflix: HERE
Follow Grace on Instagram: @gracebeverley
Shop TALA: 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.

We all know that therapy is amazing, in fact it’s life-changing for many people. But what does therapy actually do? And what makes a good therapist?
In today’s episode we’re joined by Dr Sandra Espinoza, Associate Professor of the Couple and Family Therapy Program at Alliant University. Our discussion includes:
Her journey into helping others
Why the best therapists, go to therapy
What to look for in your therapist
Why we can’t just rely on our friends
Our greatest misconceptions around therapy
Why stigma and affordability continue to be the biggest barriers
How Alliant University is leading the next generation of helpers and therapists to support their communities
If you’ve ever considered therapy, been curious about therapy or want to be a therapist yourself, this is your ultimate guide.
Follow Dr Espinoza: HERE
Find out more about Alliant University: 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.

At some point in most of our lives, most of us have felt that we are ‘too much’. We might feel that we are too loud, have too many opinions, are too extroverted, too needy, or generally take up too much emotional ‘space’. In this episode, we explore what this feels like when it bleeds into our personal and professional lives, the impact of suppressing emotions upon our immune system, and look at some methods to unlearn and reconfigure our relationship with the ‘too much’ label.
We unpack:
• Why society likes to shame people who are confident and outspoken
• The psychology of ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’, and why women are particularly vulnerable
• How being shamed and shut down as children makes us feel ‘too much’ later in life
• The link between suppressing our emotions and our immune system
• How we can unlearn the belief that we are ‘too much’
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://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_are_confident_people_so_polarizing
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4212945/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXo5rB3jtOe/?img_index=20&igsh=emNnMDNlZzFoeDZm
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.

In many ways, sibling rivalry is an integral part of growing up in a multiple-child household – the arguments, the jealousy, the competition. But as we explore in this episode, those sibling dynamics often don’t stop in childhood, but actually following us into our 20s and adulthood, shaping how we see ourselves, relate to our families, and how we carry old roles.
We explore:
• Why a level of rivalry is developmentally expected
• The evolutionary perspective on resource competition
• The role of birth order and family roles
• How sibling rivalry can transpire in adulthood
• How to begin acknowledging and rewriting old roles
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://prevention.psu.edu/news/the-psychology-behind-sibling-rivalry/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10567-011-0104-5
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0192513X211064876
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-016-0429-2
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.