How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself

Warm, insightful, and witty, the first book of advice from New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson--aka the Bloggess

Jenny Lawson is full of contradictions. She's a celebrated author but battles self-doubt, paralysis, and anxiety. She's an award-winning humorist but struggles with treatment-resistant depression. The questions people most often ask her are, "How do you do it? How do you keep going even when it feels impossible? How do you keep creating?" This book is her answer.

In How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, Jenny shares more than one hundred humorous, heartfelt, and genuine tools and tricks that she relies on to keep her going even when her brain isn't working properly due to depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She also offers tips to stay passionate and focused on creative endeavors, especially when everything around you is saying to give up.

With chapters like "Wash Your Brain More Than You Wash Your Bra" (sleep, you beautiful human), "Working on Easy Mode Is Still Working" (asking for accommodations is okay!), "Celebrate Good Times, Come On!" (make it a habit to celebrate the good things), and many more, How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay is a balm and companion, reminding us all that we are not alone. It's for anyone who struggles with self-doubt, guilt, motivation, and mental blocks and wants to rekindle their passion for creating. Funny, simple, empathetic, and full of hope, it will encourage you not to just survive but to find and curate joy in the face of difficult times.

Author: Jenny Lawson
Publisher: Penguin Life
Published: 03/31/2026
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.30w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9780593833216


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 02/01/2026 pg. 70
Publishers Weekly 01/05/2026

About the Author
Jenny Lawson (aka the Bloggess), is an award-winning humor writer and activist best known for her inspiring candor in sharing her struggle with depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Her books Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Furiously Happy, You Are Here, and Broken, are all New York Times bestsellers. She is the owner and proprietress of Nowhere Bookshop, a beloved independent bookstore and bar in San Antonio, Texas. She's been writing her popular, award-winning blog (thebloggess.com) for over fifteen years and continues to write and speak openly about her struggles while celebrating her often hilarious victories. She currently lives in Texas with her husband, child, dog, and cats.