21. Too Young to Be This Old – Feeling Behind in Life, Age Anxiety and Milestone Pressure

Описание: Ever felt like you’re too young to already be this old?
Like you should be further along, more settled, more adult… even though you know life hasn’t been simple or straightforward?
Yeah. Us too.


In this episode of Too Much, Apparently, we (Carly and Alice — two therapists with very different life paths) talk about feeling out of sync with the so-called “normal” timeline. Turning 40. Not feeling your age. Feeling both childlike and prematurely grown-up. And the quiet heaviness that comes from comparing your life to what you thought it was meant to look like.






We explore how early responsibility, trauma, class, neurodivergence and changing cultural milestones shape how old we feel inside — and why so many people feel “behind” even when they’re doing their best.


This time we talked about:
🎙️ We’ve felt this too (and we still do): feeling behind in life, age anxiety, not feeling your age, the emotional weight of turning 40


👀 What it looks like in real life: comparing yourself to peers, scrolling Facebook and spiralling, reacting strongly to milestones like marriage, children and home ownership, feeling young and old at the same time


🧠 Why this feeling exists: early adulthood responsibility, delayed or disrupted development, trauma, emotional regulation as generational wealth, executive functioning differences and the myth of a “level playing field”


🧍🏽‍♀️🧍🏻 The different ways it shows up: becoming hyper-aware of what you’ve achieved, discounting what you’ve survived, feeling out of step whether you became a parent early or not at all


🧰 Patterns we notice: comparison spirals, minimising your own achievements, measuring your life against outdated or inherited expectations


🌱 How to make peace with it: recognising that being on a different timeline doesn’t mean you’re behind — it means your life unfolded differently


Thanks for listening
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👩‍💻 Carly Radford:
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→ Instagram: @the_sensitivity_therapist


👩🏻‍💻 Alice Tew:
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→ Instagram: @reparentingwithalice


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Disclaimer: Just a quick note to say this podcast isn’t therapy, and it’s not a substitute for professional support. We’re here to share ideas and experiences, but if you’re struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional or a support service near you.


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