[BONUS] Grace for the Weird-Ass Brain: Jenny Lawson on How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay

About this sermon

Sometimes our brains don’t cooperate with the life we’re trying to live. In this honest, hilarious, and deeply compassionate bonus episode, Jen and Amy sit down with author and mental health advocate Jenny Lawson—known to many as “The Bloggess”—to talk about what it actually looks like to live with anxiety, depression, and a brain that refuses to behave. Jenny has built a massive, devoted following by telling the truth about her mental health with unfiltered humor and radical honesty. Her work reminds us that we are not alone in the messy, complicated, sometimes absurd reality of being human. Together, they talk about what it means to extend grace to yourself when you’re struggling, how humor can be both a coping mechanism and a lifeline, and why being “a little weird” might actually be the most honest way to move through the world. This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like their brain is working against them—and needs a reminder that they are still worthy, still capable, and still okay. In This Episode, We Discuss: ● Living with anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts ● The role of humor in surviving hard seasons ● Letting go of the pressure to be “normal” ● Self-compassion when your brain won’t cooperate ● Finding connection through honesty and vulnerability Thought-Provoking Quotes: ● “Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stay.” ● “Your brain might be loud, but it isn’t always telling the truth.” ● “Weird doesn’t mean broken—it might just mean honest.” Guest Bio: Jenny Lawson is a bestselling author, blogger, and mental health advocate known for her wildly honest and humorous writing about living with mental illness. Through her blog, The Bloggess, and books like Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and Broken (in the Best Possible Way), she has created a space where millions feel seen, understood, and a little less alone. Tags: mental health, anxiety, depression, Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess, humor and healing, self-compassion, intrusive thoughts, midlife mental health, For the Love podcast Thought-provoking Quotes: ★ “Self-help books are super helpful for the right kind of person but I’m not that person.” – Jenny Lawson ★ “Keep in mind that what worked for you in the past might not necessarily work for you now or in the future, and that doesn't mean you failed. It just means that's an opportunity.” – Jenny Lawson ★ “If you throw humor into a really dark subject, it gives people permission to laugh. And then that big monster becomes so much smaller.” – Jenny Lawson Resources Mentioned in This Episode: ➢ 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 – https://amzn.to/4qWKZi5 ➢ Samantha Irby – https://www.samanthairby.com/ ➢ A Ghost and His Gold by Roberta Eaton Cheadle – https://amzn.to/405lMH8 ➢ Anne Rice – https://annerice.com/ ➢ Dean Koontz – https://www.deankoontz.com/ ➢ Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – https://amzn.to/475Qp31 ➢ Focusmate (Body Doubling App) - https://www.focusmate.com/ ➢ Let's Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson – https://amzn.to/4rGEBN7 ➢ Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson – https://amzn.to/4u4RBxG ➢ Broken (In The Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson – https://amzn.to/4r3Bhuh ➢ Jenny Lawson Book Tour - https://thebloggess.com/2026/02/25/how-to-be-okay-when-nothing-is-okay-on-book-tour/ ➢ Jenny Lawson’s Nowhere Book Shop in San Antonio, TX - https://nowherebookshop.com/ Guest’s Links: Website - https://thebloggess.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thebloggess/ Twitter - https://x.com/TheBloggess Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jennythebloggess Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/thebloggess/ Substack - https://thebloggess.substack.com/ Connect with Jen! Jen’s Website - https://jenhatmaker.com/ Jen’s Instagram - https://instagram.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/jenHatmaker/ Jen’s Facebook - https://facebook.com/jenhatmaker Jen’s YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/JenHatmaker The For the Love Podcast is presented by Audacy.

Topics

• Grace