The Psychology of your 20s

Anxiety has a way of making ordinary moments feel life-or-death. A simple interaction can feel significant, a passing thought can spiral into catastrophe, and your body can react as if something is deeply wrong - even when rationally you know you’re probably okay. In this episode, we get into the neuroscience behind anxiety - why your brain becomes obsessed with certain thoughts, why false alarms feel so convincing, and what actually helps when you want to feel less trapped inside your own mind. We explore: •        Why anxiety feels so intense and urgent•        Our physical and emotional reactions to anxiety•        The role of GABA and glutamate in anxiety•        Why trying to ‘stop thinking about it’ doesn’t work•        How avoidance perpetuates the anxious cycle•        Practical ways for living with an anxious brain Happy listening! Watch on Netflix: HERE Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s For business: [email protected]  Our favourite sources:  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9559819/ https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn2555 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-022-01332-2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027273580000057X 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.

Most people would know the term: dopamine. It's the world's most famous neurotransmitter, known for it's role in happiness and pleasure. What if I told you, most of us have it all wrong. In today's episode we break down the secret history and psychology of dopamine, including:  The controversy around it's discovery How it became known as the 'pleasure' hormone Why that's actually not true It's true role in movement, motivation and memory  Myth-busting dopamine detoxes plus so much more Happy listening!  Watch on Netflix: HERE Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s For business: [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we’re ‘in a funk’, we might feel that things just aren’t going right for us, we can’t catch a break, and that life generally feels pretty flat. What’s more, we can tend to look at the world through a negative lens - which makes things worse.  In this episode, we look at why we get stuck in a funk, how our approach to fix it can lead us astray, and how we can get ourselves out of one by honouring our soul needs, reconnecting with nature, and more. We unpack:• The key differences between being in a funk and clinical depression• Why monotony and boredom keep us stuck• The danger of telling yourself to just ‘snap out of it’• The importance of honouring our ‘soul needs’ • What we can do to rewire our brain towards a brighter future Happy listening! Watch on Netflix: HERE Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast Subscribe on Substack: @thepsychologyofyour20s For business: [email protected]  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.