Jenny Lawson - born and raised in Texas - is a journalist, blogger, author, humorist, and artist who suffers from mental illness, attention deficit disorder, clinical depression, anxiety attacks, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune problems, and more. This makes Lawson's life challenging, but her medication - as well as her husband and daughter - help Jenny cope.
Author Jenny Lawson
I've previously read two of Lawson's bestselling books, Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things and Broken, in which Jenny provides encouragement to people with mental health issues.....and to everyone else whose life isn't perfect. Lawson's motivational observations are illustrated by personal anecdotes that make gentle fun of everything and everyone, including herself.
This book is a more straightforward self-help book. Lawson notes, "Over the years, I have hoarded a treasure chest of tips and tricks that help me manage my head and my heart. That's what you'll find here in 'How To Be Okay When Nothing Feels Okay.'
To get readers up to speed on her personal life, Lawson shares this brief bio: "I've been married to my long-suffering but loving husband (Victor) for decades, and we have a wonderful kid (Hailey), three demanding cats (Ferris Mewler, Hunter S. Thomcat, and Rolly), and a small neurotic dog (Dorothy Barker). Five years ago we opened a very weird but fun indie bookstore and bar in San Antonio called Nowhere Bookshop that is somehow still thriving."
From left to right: Hailey, Jenny, and Victor Lawson
Jenny Lawson's Nowhere Bookshop
In essence, this book is a series of tips - related in fun prose - to give readers a boost and help them get through bad days. Thus Jenny provides advice about how to value yourself; be more confident; not compare yourself unfavorably with other people; not beat yourself up about perceived failures; let go of irrational fears; overcome imposter syndrome; use memory aids; stave off panic attacks; deal with panic attacks; do things that bring you joy; make playlists for different moods; reach out to family, friends, and the community; do something easy if you can't do something hard; sleep, rest, and restore; get a pet; limit your doom-scrolling; if you can't do it now, assign a task to your future self; take meds if you need them; explore new horizons; don't read negative reviews (have a friend vet them); celebrate good times; and much more.
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Lawson personalizes the narrative with lots of stories about herself, which provide concrete examples of how to cope with depression and mental or emotional difficulties. You don't have to suffer from any of Lawson's troubles, however, to benefit from the book. There's plenty of good advice for everyone, and laughs along the way.
I'll give some examples of Lawson's entertaining anecdotes.
🌸 In the category, you haven't embarrassed yourself as badly as this: Edward de Vere - the 17th Earl of Oxford - was bowing to Queen Elizabeth when he let out an enormous fart, which he was so mortified about he left the country for seven years.
🌸 Lawson read that people in Norway sometimes respond to 'How are you?' with " “Oppe og ikke gråter" which means "Up, and not crying." She writes, "This is my new favorite response ever, especially on days when just leaving your bed can be an achievement."
🌸 Lawson is a proponent of the Irish goodbye, or leaving a social gathering without saying farewell. Jenny writes, "The famous linguist Anatoly Liberman said that the original Irish goodbye came from the English, who called it the 'French leave.' And the French were apparently not pleased and so they called ducking out quickly 'Filer à l’anglaise', which means 'To leave like the English.' In any case, it means do a runner.
🌸 Early in her career, Lawson wrote a blog about her family and was labeled a 'mommy blogger' when her male counterparts were labeled 'parenting bloggers.' Since 'mommy blogger' was deliberately demeaning, Jenny decided to pick her own label, and chose 'Princess Lawson - Superintendent of Malevolent Pomeranians.' In the book, Jenny kindly includes 'The (Incredibly) Random Title Generator' to help readers pick a label. I've chosen 'Doctor Barbara - Commissioner of Weird Diseases.'
I got some good tips from the book, which is fine for reading straight through or dipping into as needed. Recommended for anyone who sometimes needs a boost.
Thanks to Netgalley, Jenny Lawson, and Viking Penguin for an ARC of the book.
3.5 stars
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