The Psychology of your 20s

Dating in our 20s can feel like an uphill battle, and many of us are seeking an alternative to casual relationships and meaningless flings or hookups. This week on the podcast, we discuss how we can adopt an intentional approach to our romantic life and dating decisions, in particular, how this can free us from some of the pressure and stress that accompanies dating in our 20s. We discuss the psyc...

In 2020, Bradley found himself questioning death. He was 24 and lying in hospital bed with bleeding lungs caused by his condition, cystic fibrosis. Three years later, he has run multiple marathons, left behind his successful career as a realtor and is now running his podcast 'A Lot To Talk About', sharing his story. This week we break down his journey, including his philosophy towards overcoming t...

All of us in our 20s have some goal or ambition that we are striving for and whatever that may be, consistency is the key to our success. On this episode we break down how we can use the psychology behind consistency and motivation to help achieve our goals, from microhabits to delayed gratification, self compassion, a monthly routine and incremental reinforcement. We also examine some of the scie...

Platonic soulmates represent the idea that our deepest relationships and our strongest bonds don't have to be romantic, sexual or based on attraction, they can be between us and our friends. This idea of platonic soulmates has been on the rise, however, it's not a new phrase. Plato, the ancient greek philosopher, was one of the first people to identify this feeling of deep connection and understan...

In our 20s, we face an increasing sense of pressure to reach certain important, life milestones, such as getting into our first relationship, graduating university, finding our career path, getting engaged and so many more. When we don't meet the expectations or the timeline that society gives us, we can feel like failures and begin to self sabotage or ruminate on our faults and flaws. This week w...

Today, we're diving into the psychology behind open relationships in our 20s - why people are attracted to the idea of non-monogamy, how they operate, the boundaries that are set, how to navigate sexual jealousy and whether they actually work? Open relationships have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional monogamy, but they are not a new concept. Why are some people more curious...

This week, I'm joined by the fabulous Al and Sal, the hosts of Two Broke Chicks, to discuss how we can maintain our identity in a relationship, especially in our 20s. Our romantic relationships are fundamental elements of our identity and we all crave the warm and fuzzy feelings that accompany dating someone wonderful. But how do we ensure that our partners and relationship do not take over our li...

This week on the podcast we are breaking down the psychology of our dreams - why we dream, the role of our brain, what our dreams mean, repressed desires, nightmares and even the role of daydreaming for our mental wellbeing. If you've ever wondered about your weird dreams, some of the scientific theories and whether you are a maladaptive daydreamer, this episode is for you as we jump into the fasc...

Many of us in our 20's have become disillusioned with the 9-5 lifestyle and the reality of working an office job for the rest of our lives. Psychology shows us that the 9-5 job is not only inefficient but unnatural, leaving us feeling burnt-out, unmotivated, detached from the things that matter and searching for an alternative that offers both freedom and flexibility. This week, I talk about my ow...

Perfectionism is on the rise amongst young people, and in this episode we break down exactly what it means to have perfectionist tendencies. We examine the theories of personality, our upbringing, links to OCD and ADHD and what it means for academic performance and anxiety. We also dive into some of the methods for minimising our perfectionism, including visualisation, the 80-20 rule, cognitive be...

This Friday we sit down with the wonderful Violet Benson, host of the podcast Almost Adulting, also known for her famous meme account, Daddy Issues, as we discuss everything dating in our 20s, specifically the truth about daddy issues, healing childhood trauma and parental relationships and how to reestablish your boundaries and standards. That, and so much more. Listen now! Follow Violet everywhe...

This week we break down the psychological, biological and evolutionary underpinnings of loneliness and break down some of the stigma around feeling lonely in your 20's. This decade is full of a number of significant life transitions and changes that can lead us to feel isolated and detached, but loneliness sometimes get's a bad wrap. We explore how we can cultivate a better relationship with lonel...

On this episode we break down the science and psychology of the internet and TikTok sensation of "lucky girl syndrome". We explore the ideas and theories behind self fulfilling prophecies, confirmation bias, goal-oriented behaviour, brain anatomy and the power of positive affirmations on shifting our mindset to reveal whether lucky girl syndrome is fact or fiction, and where ideas of privilege and...

This week we are discussing the science and psychology of emotional unavailability and breaking down the misconceptions and myths about emotional unavailability in our 20's, particularly when it comes to dating people who won't commit. We’re going to break down exactly what emotional unavailability versus availability looks like and how it manifests in relationships, what emotional unavailability...

This week we are joined by Lyss Boss, the host of Date Yourself Instead, to discuss dating in our 20's, particularly what it means to deliberately choose to be single, how we can learn from past relationships and heal our attachment styles. Alongside this we dive into the psychology behind karmic relationships, repeating toxic patterns in relationships and learning to move on through authenticity...

This week we discuss the psychology behind why we all should be prepared to talk risks and push beyond our comfort zone in our 20’s. This topic has a lot of personal relevance for me right now, which I share in this episode, but there is also a lot of science and psychology that is incredibly compelling and persuasive as to why taking a risk is a good thing! From studies on the impact of regret an...

Breakups and heartache are a universal experience in our 20’s. But what exactly happens to our minds, our bodies and our emotions at the end of a relationship? This week we will break down the psychology and the science behind breakups, heartbreak and moving on. We will explore the theory of withdrawal, stages of grief, conditioning and the psychology behind why ‘no contact’ really does work to ho...

In this episode we break down the psychology behind eating disorders - from anorexia to bulimia and binge eating disorder. Amalie Lee, the Host of the Recovery Talk podcast joins us to discuss her own experience with anorexia and as an eating disorder recovery coach as we break down the triggers and origins of eating disorders, the misconceptions, how they impact our psychological and emotional we...

This week on the podcast we discuss the experience of worrying and overthinking the future. From anticipatory anxiety, the the illusion of control, paradox of choice and self preservation, anxiety about the future has a lot of psychological origins that we will unpack in todays episode to try and find freedom from future spiralling and embrace the moment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in...

This week we dive into the psychology behind hookup culture and casual dating in our 20’s. We are joined by the host of The Openhouse Podcast, Louise Rumball, as we discuss the cultural and societal changes that have contributed to this sexual liberation, what happens to our brain during and after a hookup, empowering ourselves through pleasure but also healthy boundaries and the science and perso...

This week on the show we dive into what it really means to heal your inner child. From reparenting to relearning your attachment style, the power of play and protecting your inner childlike wonder and curiosity, we discuss the psychology and everyday practices we can enact to connect and heal our inner child wounds and bring that joy and vulnerability to our adult lives. Listen now! See omnystudio...

This week on the show we deep dive into why we outgrow our friendships as we enter our 20’s. We often have a romanticised idea that friendships last a lifetime, but during this decade we realise that it’s a lot more nuanced. We explore the main factors behind the friendship “fizzle”, why it’s a normal part of growing up, how we can handle the emotions that come along with and learn to value solitu...

This week we deep dive into everything there is to know about therapy in our 20’s. From identifying when you need therapy, to finding the right therapist, the different types of therapy that are available, some of the misconceptions about therapy and the details of your first session, this episode provides all the information to remove some of the mysticism and stigma behind getting some help for...

This week I am joined by Chidera Eggerue, otherwise known as the Slumflower, host of the Slumflower Hour and author of the Number 1 Sunday Times Bestsellers What a Time to be Alone (2018) and How to Get Over a Boy (2020) to discuss attachment styles, how to set boundaries and non-negotiables when dating men. We discuss the own hard lessons we’ve learnt through our intimate relationships, how to re...

This weeks episode we deep dive into the psychology self confidence and how we can master our sense of confidence and self assurance to be the best versions of ourselves. We discuss the elements that make up confidence, the impact of nature versus nurture and the difference between self confidence and arrogance. We also explore some of the evidence-based strategies that we can use to improve our s...