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

by Jenny Lawson

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 question she’s most often asked by people is “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 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), “Work on Easy Mode” (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 inspirational, it will encourage you not to just survive but to find and curate joy in the face of difficult times.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Memoir, Self Help, Adult, Mental Health, Biography Memoir

288 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 31, 2026

About the author

Known for her sardonic wit and her hysterically skewed outlook on life, Jenny Lawson has made millions of people question their own sanity, as they found themselves admitting that they, too, often wondered why Jesus wasn't classified as a zombie, or laughed to the point of bladder failure when she accidentally forgot that she mailed herself a cobra. Her blog (www.thebloggess.com) is award-winning and extremely popular.

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've already said this in my review of I Choose Darkness, but I'm pretty sure that Jenny Lawson is my spirit animal. (And now I'm super worried that she's going to read this and be offended because I called her an animal, but I totally don't mean it in a literal sense so please don't be mad at me, okay?) I generally don't read self-help books because I am painfully aware of my mental flaws and the steps I *should* (but obviously am not) talking to correct them, but I will read anything Lawson writes so here we are.

As someone who is very ADHD and anxiety-prone (and probably also a little autistic but I grew up in an era when the only diagnosis you got for such things was “weird,” so who knows?), reading Lawson's books are always like a balm for my soul because it's nice to know that there's someone out there who would probably “get” you if you were to meet in real life. I mean, we both have/had cats named Ferris Mewler/Meweller (there are a lot of slashes in that sentence but my Ferris has long since journeyed on to the Rainbow Bridge and I went with the more complicated spelling because if I have to suffer through having a last name that no one can ever spell, then so do my pets) and pick clothes based on their ability to camouflage cat fur (no solid black or white in this house, ever) and have no idea how makeup works, so I'm pretty sure we're basically twins.

And, okay, so maybe this book is very self-help-y and I don't really do self-help, but there are still lots of little fun anecdotes that you'd expect from a Jenny Lawson book and also some of the self-help bits were really quite meaningful and empowering and might've even made me tear up a time or two. It's not a super deep read, but there's lots of helpful advice and the chapters are short which made me very happy because long chapters are a challenge to my oft-distracted squirrel brain.

Also, I could not relate more to the chapter about her making notes on her phone and then forgetting what they mean, because I email myself notes all the time and they're always near-indecipherable. Like right now I have one in my inbox that says “eff short” and it took me days to remember that it was supposed to be a reminder to buy my husband a shirt from the Electronic Frontier Foundation for Christmas, except that I typoed “shirt” and couldn't be bothered to fix it. And then when I was reading this book I wanted to mention the above in this review, so I sent myself a message that said “emails eff short” as a reminder and I couldn't remember what that meant either. I do realize that none of this really has much to do with this book but if you confuse yourself with indecipherable notes on a regular basis, you'll probably appreciate this chapter in particular.

Anyway, if you're neurodivergent and/or struggle with your mental health, definitely consider giving this book a read. Or if you simply enjoy hippo facts and anecdotes about people farting at queens, this might be the book for you for entirely different reasons.

4.4 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Life for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is March 31, 2026.

[Ellen Gail]

Seeing a new Jenny Lawson book with a charming oddball lil mammal on the cover has to be a top tier human experience. This is what God created eyeballs for.

[Angie Miale · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was completely delightful. It is part self-help, some memoir, and some lovely doodles. I love her voice, her non-traditional writing style and her unique and ridiculously specific references. It is a story about how she has managed her anxiety, depression, and ADHD. She has true practical exercises that will help make the reader’s life better. I don’t remember laughing out loud this much at a book in a very long time. Jenny is just hilarious. This book comes with more of a maturity and accountability than from her previous books. She is taking a lot of great experience from therapy and sharing what has worked for her.

My son has severe ADHD and this book really helped me understand more what he goes through daily. I can’t wait to read it again!
4.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC. Book to be published March 30, 2026.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be published March 31, 2026.

This is the fourth book I’ve read by this author, AKA the Bloggess.I was first introduced to her back in 2012 from my book club. She is laugh out loud funny.

This book was slightly different from her previous books as it felt more like a self-help book, but still with swear words and random stories you’d expect from her. It did include tips to get you through the tough times as well as a lot of cheerleading.

I generally listen to her books since she self-narrates but this book had a lot of her drawings. Both are great options.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting. Encouraging. Inspiring! Lawson's latest book is filled with hilarious and heartfelt practical advice for creatives and those struggling with their mental health. Written in twelve parts with short chapters, the book can be read straight through or by skipping to whichever section speaks to the reader in the moment the most. Long time fans will find comfort in the author's frank dark humor, profanity and willingness to share some extremely personal, unhinged anecdotes. There are also illustrations and motivational quotes sprinkled throughout. So much more than just another self-help or writing advice guide, Lawson's words are sure to bring comfort and aid to those with anxiety, chronic illness, ADHD and depression at times when they might be struggling the most. Recommended for readers who love authors like Brene Brown and Samantha Irby. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exactly my "cup of mashed potatoes." (Side note, autocorrect wrote 'madness potatoes' which is even better!)
The book is full of helpful suggestions and thoughts that sometimes I get to on my own but not always. Jenny has a way of writing that is very much the way I find myself thinking so it's kind of like having a chat with myself, or at least someone who really gets it.
I will also say that it was nice to have the sections in small portions so I could divvy up my potatoes into enjoyable bits instead of massive servings. When things are already overwhelming it's hard enough to focus and this format was just right.

My theme to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Helen Wu ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Jenny Lawson, though I’ve seen her work around for years and always been curious. I really appreciated the short chapters, her sense of humor, and the gentle reminders sprinkled throughout. It’s not life-shattering advice—mostly common sense—but sometimes that’s exactly what we need. The book feels realistic, relatable, and quietly motivational in a way that meets you where you are. I finished it fairly quickly and think it’s one of those reads you could easily gift to family or friends as a kind and thoughtful reminder that it’s okay to not always be okay. Thank you to Netgalley and Viking Penguin for the advanced reader’s copy.

[Chet · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Be Okay When Nothing is Okay is a self-help book, but I didn’t know that when I picked it up. It became obvious, though, in the first few pages when you are explicitly told this. Now, I’m not normally the kind of person who reads self-help books because I am not that messed up. But you’re not going to NOT read a new Jenny Lawson book, so I tried to keep an open mind and jumped right in. What I found out was that I am “that messed up”, because I really enjoyed this book. Or, maybe I’m just a regular human person who struggles with life like everyone else.

I can’t say that everything in this book was personally helpful to me, but Jenny (I can call her Jenny because after reading three books and countless posts, I kind of feel like I know her even though I’m just some guy and she is the great and powerful Jenny Lawson) is able to be hilarious and entertaining even when you’re reading something that doesn’t specifically apply to you. That said, there is plenty here to keep you thinking and there were quite a few times that I said to myself, “This sounds a lot like me!”. Unfortunately, I am a very flawed person but I’m trying to be better and HTBOWNIO is a book for very flawed people who want to be better. Fortunately, once I was able to put my ego aside, I found a lot in these pages that not only helped me but also made me feel a lot better about my own flaws and neuroses. As Jenny is fond of saying, sometimes just knowing you aren’t alone in your eccentricity makes you feel better.

At first I was a little concerned, because mental health and self-help is usually serious subject matter. Thankfully, my worries were unfounded, because Jenny Lawson is still the author and she is a fantastic writer. HTBOWNIO is just as funny as her other writing and she is just as charming and witty as ever. At only 288 pages, this is a fairly short read, but there is a lot packed in. There are stories, jokes, tips and tricks and a lot of honesty here and if you’re a Jenny Lawson fan, you will not be disappointed.

If you’re already a fan of Marvelous Mrs. Lawson, I encourage you to go ahead and pre-order this one. You know you’re going to read it anyway so you might as well go ahead and have it in your hot little hands on March 31, 2026, when it releases. If you are NOT already a fan of Jenny Lawson, why not? Go right now and read her other books so you’ll be ready when this one comes out. If you don’t have the money to buy books (go to the library!) or you’re still unsure, go check out www.thebloggess.com and do some reading. If you don’t like here, that’s fair, but I don’t know if we can be friends. If you struggle with anxiety, depression or any other number of mental health disorders, I think you’re going to love this. If you don’t struggle with mental health issues, that’s awesome for you, but I still think you would enjoy her writing.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Viking Penguin and Jenny Lawson for allowing me to read How to Be Okay When Nothing is Okay. It’s a great book and likely destined to be another bestseller.

[Braden Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Lawson's HOW TO BE OKAY WHEN NOTHING IS OKAY is the kind of irreverent self-help book that I can get behind. You will take many great pointers away from this, but you will also get statements like, "Hippos are baddies with nothing to prove", and I'm here for it. I've been a fan of Jenny for some time and always appreciate her honesty surrounding mental illness because it's quite relatable. This book is especially helpful for creatives or individuals that tend to get in their own way.

Lawson emphasizes how to get ourselves of creative ruts and have the courage to fail and create again. She showcases the importance of rotating your crops and trying different things as an artist because change is just as good as rest. Someone out there is going to write someone else's favorites book and is currently wondering if their story in their head is worth telling - don't succumb to this mentality. There is no right pathway, creatively or in life, every bad day and every good day is a step forward showing you what does or does not work for you.

We can change our path at anytime, even if it's a strange path because it's important to be a weirdo in a world that's often too boring. If something looks wrong, it's actually fine, just different or new. As Lawson says, "The word amateur comes from the Latin amare, which means to love to do something just for the love of it. And thats simply nothing to be ashamed of." Rules are meant to be broken and Lawson tells us that it's exciting to do something fresh and strange and baffling. As someone who often battles my own mental illness or inner critic, this book is exactly the reminder that I needed to bloom creatively. The short chapters don't hurt either!

Thanks to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an eARC from NetGalley. I’ve enjoyed several of her other books, so when I saw a new one was coming, I snagged it immediately and plowed through it.

I grew up on the Muppets, and it warped/shaped enough of my personality and sense of humor that when I find a Muppet in human form who writes, I’m going to read the shit out of it. When my brain is not cooperating, I will liken it to three over-caffeinated squirrels in a trench coat. It won’t shut the fuck up, no matter how much I need it to. Jenny’s prose style frames that feeling like a superpower rather than a drawback. This book made me feel better just by being willing to be that weirdo friend that will sit with me when I am also feeling like *I* am that weirdo friend. The thing about that weirdo friend is that I can be that weirdo friend for myself, too.

Not every tip and trick will work for me, and that is FINE. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that for the length of this book, I felt like I wasn’t alone in my weirdness, my struggles to function some days, and in the attempts to motivate myself that only make sense in my own brain and no one else’s.

If you, too, have a brain that never shuts the fuck up, Jenny’s work is for you. At the very least, you will find new and inventive ways to convince yourself that you’re allowed to occasionally win the arguments, try something new, or just chill for once.

Highly recommended.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a self-help book kind of gal but when you add in Jenny Lawson's humor, self-deprecating stories, and realness...take all of my money! I will read anything Lawson writes and I will happily laugh (and sometimes cry) my way through it.

How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay is not a groundbreaking self-help book. Most of the advice is pretty common sense even. But it is so real and so accessible that it made me fall in love with it. It helps you set yourself up for success in whatever venture you are taking on, in a beautiful and simple way.

The underlying theme of the book? You are great, just being you. Breathe.
And that is advice we all need to hear on a daily basis.

I know for a fact that Lawson's tips will absolutely help tame my squirrel brain on my worst days.

I already pre-ordered a physical copy of the book so my loved ones and I can pick it up on hard days and flip to pages that will help get us through.

Thank you to Netgalley and Viking Penguin for the opportunity to read and ARC for this book.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will read anything and everything that Jenny Lawson writes forever - so I may be biased - but I think this is such a lovely, fun, relatable guide on how to carry on when you feel stuck, defeated, or unconfident. I found the chapters that focused on mental health to be especially relatable and helpful as someone with a whole cocktail of mental illnesses, and I've already started incorporating some of her suggestions into my daily routine (specifically listing your "rose, rose, thorn, and bud" of the day, which has been a hit with my partner). It's so difficult to exist and be a person, and we all need to just take Jenny Lawson's lead and admit that more. This book gives you permission to mess up, keep trying, be weird, and do it all with the people you love, and I think that's what we need in these times.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book "How to be Okay When Nothing is Okay" from NetGalley. I am a fan of Jenny Lawson. Her upcoming book is a good one! Jenny Lawson has always been honest writing about her own struggles with Mental Illness. In this book she offers advice and help on how to just get through your day. Most of her advice I have read before and she even says this is advice she has been given by therapists and other people.
Each chapter is usually very short but offers the "how to be okay when nothing is Okay' she still writes with a sense of humor but can be serious as well. Such as don't be so hard on yourself, take things one at a time. Be glad when you can accomplish one thing at a time if only one thing in a day. I agree with her when she writes about how we can be so hard on ourselves. There are many pieces of advice here that are good and helpful. Glad I got the chance to read this book.

[Emma Shaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this title. It's not like her typical memoirs. I'm not going to lie, I was expecting more of her funny stories, but I liked the ones she did share in this book. Even though it wasn't like her previous books, I thought it was helpful and something a lot of people would find valuable. Some of her tips and tricks I had already heard before, but there were quite a few unique tips that I liked. Even though there were a lot of things I don't personally struggle with, I found it helpful to see into the mind of someone else. I now have a better understanding and have better tool to help friends, family or random strangers I might meet in my life now because I better understand struggles they might have. I've already recommended the book to three of my friends, so I definitely think this is a great book to read. Overall, I definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy.

[Chelsea Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Lawson is a genius at blending the absurdly funny with the profoundly real. How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay is less a self-help guide and more a survival manual written by your most honest, hilarious friend. She has been a favorite of mine since her first book!

Lawson tackles anxiety, depression, and the sheer chaos of modern life with raw vulnerability and her signature sharp wit. She offers practical (and often bizarre) "tools" and candid anecdotes that make you laugh out loud one minute and feel deeply understood the next.

This book grants you permission to be imperfect, to ask for help, and to celebrate the small wins without shame. It’s an essential, uplifting read that reminds you it’s okay to be a little broken and that joy can be found even when everything feels like a mess. Brilliant, relatable, and a true balm for the anxious soul. Highly recommended!

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was simultaneously funny, zany, and helpful. many unique suggestions that will certainly help me even more if i write them down and remember them (sorry i cannot bear to say the phrase 'tips and tricks' as it's something my boss constantly says) and describing the spiraling nature of anxiety - especially in the chapter about canceling the professional meeting - was all too familiar, and comforting to know that i am not alone.

my tiny critique is that most of the suggestions seem to be about writing, or being an author, because that's what she is, and most of the examples are also about writing, including the meta 'i am writing this chapter right now and really distracted' kind of thing, which kind of takes me out of the narrative a bit.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the early copy!

[Mendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have couple of automatic authors that I will read without knowing anything about the book. And Jenny Lawson is one of them. If she published her grocery list I would immediately buy it, because let’s be real, we all know her list would be epic.

To sum up this book I could hash tag every page #yepthisisme. Iykyk


I have the ebook version but I will be immediately purchasing the physical copy on publishing date to highlight and annotate every page.

If you don’t love Jenny Lawson we can’t be friends. Sorry not sorry.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Lawson is a national treasure. I've absolutely loved her writing over the years (Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Furiously Happy, Broken (in the Best Possible Way)) and devoured her new book in a day. How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, Lawson's first book of advice, is accessible, funny, relatable, and just what I needed. It is a balm for these often crazy and difficult times and a reminder to keep going, to seek out joy, and that it's okay to not be okay.

Thank you to Viking Penguin | Penguin Life and NetGalley for the advance reader's digital copy. #HowtoBeOkayWhenNothingIsOkay #NetGalley

[Rally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a great pick me up ! The author is so very relatable and down to earth. I many times found myself smiling or laughing at things she said. For anyone who is going through a tough time or just feeling down. This book will show you that you are not the only one and maybe give a little bit of a different perspective. You can read this all at one time but I think it works best to read a little section a day and savor each bit of it.
Thank you to netgalley, publishers and author for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review. I will be buying this book for myself and also to lend to others as soon as it comes out.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book almost makes you feel like you’ve made a new friend by the end of it. Jenny Lawson has a way of writing that is friendly and relatable. The references to dealing with anxiety especially resonated with me.

This was all common sense information though - I didn’t learn anything new. While I liked the short chapters at first, I think the book would’ve been better had the various topics been expanded on. Overall a nice read but had the potential to be better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the opportunity to read an early copy.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my opinion.

I did not realize this was essentially a self-help book; I assumed it was another memoir-ish book of essays. That was my bad. I am not into self-help books - that’s a me problem. I really love Jenny Lawson, and as far as self-help books go, it was well-written and funny. I am rounding up to 4 stars because I love the author so much. If it had been written by someone else I would have given it 3 because these kinds of books just aren’t for me.

[Jenny Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know the rules on rating a book that you wrote but I do know that this is the book I wish I'd had when I was first struggling with depression, ADHD, anxiety, chronic illness and the occasional dumpster fire of life that keeps me from being my best, creative self. I hope it helps others to read it as much as it helped me to write it.

(Contains light profanity, unhinged joy, and wild encouragement. Does not contain wheat or spiders. Unless you use it to store your wheat and spiders. I'm not the boss of you.)

[MommySnarksALot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Jenny Lawson. I’ve been a fan of her blog since the early days and have eagerly awaited each of her books. Her previous works were all 5 stars for me. This one was just didn’t do it, though. Maybe I went in with the wrong mindset, but I was expecting less of an outright self-help book and something more like her previous works. I looked forward to vignettes of her life with a bit of positive affirmations, but instead got lists of obvious ways to feel better about myself and very few of the cute anecdotes that are the hallmark of her writing.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Be Okay When Nothing is Okay is a book of suggested ways you can help your brain when it's being a bastard to you. Each chapter is only a couple pages long. Although I read it in one sitting, it's meant to be something you can dip into really quick if you need a trick to try and help you get through a bad spot. Many of the tips seem like they could be helpful for people, but the book is also full of Jenny Lawson's typical humor and are set-up with stories from her own experiences so there is also the sort of memoirish element to it that readers may be expecting from her books.

[BibliofiendLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC
------------
Lawson is just a gem. This is a humorous, quirky, yet heartfelt self help / self care title that readers will find inspiring and relatable. While not all readers may enjoy how she approaches difficult topics through wry, sometime dark humor, I can firmly say, "I am one of those readers." I met her a few years ago and she was authentic, kind, and just a great person. If life is sometimes hard and you need some encouragement on how to deal, check out this title.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Lawson says the things the rest of us are thinking. She has a real talent for mixing humor with honest stories about mental health, and it makes you feel understood. This is a light read with helpful advice and plenty of anecdotes—part self-help, part memoir. The short chapters make it easy to dip in and out.

Highly recommended for anyone navigating their own mental health.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Was excited to see a new Jenny Lawson book coming out! This book is a very quick read as the book is laid out tools and tricks to tackle life. Some stories span a few pages, some a little longer tied with an experience. She shares what has worked for her to cope with life and of course there are comical moments as you can expect from a Lawson book.

[Chrisdee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many of Jenny Lawson's books, you will be left feeling a little brighter, a little more weird, and a lot satisfied. I love the way she weaves humor into her life advice. She writes as if you are a friend and by the end of this book you'll feel like you've gained that. Good read!

* I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review*

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Lawson never fails to make me smile! This book came as a bit of surprise, as I was expecting more of her ridiculous, silly, and completely irreverent content. I mean, she was still hilarious, but she was also extremely tender and I felt so loved and supported while reading this. A great book if you just need a pick-me-up, but don't want something too saccharine.

[Electra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some helpful tips that I think are geared towards people that haven't been to therapy. If you've been to therapy, then a lot of this information is basic just with that special Lawson twist/humor. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.