406. How to romanticise your 20s (even when they suck)

Your 20s are sold to you as the "best years of your life" - which is hilarious, considering how many of us spend them underpaid, overthinking, heartbroken, living in transitional housing, and finding a new identity every 6 months. So what does it actually mean to 'romanticise your 20s'? In this episode, we break down romanticising as a real psychological skill - how your brain constructs meaning, why attention shapes what feels like reality, and why building a coherent life story matters most when your life feels messy. We explore: • Why your attention changes your experience • The neuroscience and cognition of meaning-making • The role of emergent adulthood • Why narrative psychology is so important • Five grounded ways to romanticise your life Watch on Netflix: HERE Follow Jemma on Instagram: @ jemmasbeg Follow the podcast on Instagram: @ thatpsychologypodcast

You can listen to 406. How to romanticise your 20s (even when they suck) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

406. How to romanticise your 20s (even when they suck) is an episode from The Psychology of your 20’s by iHeartPodcasts.

This episode is 37:42 long.

This episode was published on Apr 13, 2026.

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