We said Ciao for Now, and now we're back... THINGS ARE DEFINITELY NOT OK RIGHT NOW! We know it. You know it. Your dog knows it (who told her??). But even when things are terrible, there’s something out there — however small — that is at least okay. Today’s episode is an exercise in finding (and sharing) the ok, with stories of the ways strangers have shown up for us in our times of need. Thanks to everyone who called (or texted!) in. Call or text us at 612.568.4441 any time. If you’d like to support the show (and get more of it) join us here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we start 2025, we have a big announcement to make: It’s Going To Be Okay, the daily podcast is going away.  Going forward, Nora will be publishing a new podcast on her Substack. You can watch her YouTube channel for more moments of gratitude and okay things (plus other fun content!). Thank you for listening to this show and sharing all of your okay things over the last two years!  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rachel found a simple pleasure to distract her from some of the heavy things in her life: iPad games.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jolie Stele has made a lot of plans for how her life should go. Very few of them panned out exactly how she expected, but she’s still happy with where she ended up. Jolie Steele is a coach and a writer. Check out more essays like this on her Substack, and follow her on Instagram.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a divorce, Jolie Steele learned a valuable lesson: most of life is living in the “messy middle”.  Jolie Steele is a coach and a writer. Check out more essays like this on her Substack, and follow her on Instagram.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blake called us to share some of the tools she learned for grieving after she lost her mom.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What problems could be solved by going for a walk today? _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Irene emailed us to share all of the okay things she’s experienced since joining her neighborhood’s ‘buy nothing’ Facebook group.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you find yourself struggling on the holiday, this pep talk is for you. If this is the best day of the year and you don’t listen to this episode until next week when the holiday dust settles down…this pep talk is also for you. Because no matter how you feel about any single day, Nora reminds us a day is such a fleeting thing. - “It’s Going To Be OK” is a daily podcast from Feelings and Co. Each morning, we bring you a short story, essay, or interview about one thing that makes us (or our guests) feel like it might not all be so bad – even if some things are. Share your OK thing at 612.568.4441 or by emailing IGTBO@feelingsand.co. – The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, and Amanda RomanI. – The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nora loves a lot of things, but chief among them is holidays movies — the tackier the better. But not everyone can just sit back and enjoy the absurdity. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is a daily podcast from Feelings and Co. Each morning, we bring you a short story, essay, or interview about one thing that makes us (or our guests) feel like it might not all be so bad – even if some things are. Share your OK thing at 612.568.4441 or by emailing IGTBO@feelingsand.co. – The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Grace Barry, Marcel Malekebu, and Amanda Romani. – The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nora has always admired Weird Al, so for this year’s Happyish Holidays show, she wrote a Christmas parody song. Today, we share it with you. You can watch the music video for ‘A Petty Little Christmas’ here. _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Years ago, Jessica was on a train and met a couple who owned a funeral parlor. Today she tells us about the kindness they extended her.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One listener tells us about The South Minneapolis Turkeys that roam her neighborhood.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are celebrating the nice things strangers have done for you, and today Brooke talks about an act of kindness she’s been thinking about since high school.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura called to tell us about the nicest thing a stranger did for her, which happened in an Ulta parking lot.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We asked some of you to send us okay memories of a time when a stranger helped you out. Today we hear a story about some neighborly help.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jess sent us a voicemail about a phrase her daughter has been saying that has become a kind of mantra.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recently asked you all to send us embarrassing stories to make the rest of us laugh (and to remember even the things that once mortified us eventually feel okay.) Today,  Marnie tells us about her first massage.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nora’s son Ralph is back with a new mantra.  Listen to Ralph’s first mantra episode, YGYSYDG. _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kendra Adachi guides us through how to get through moments when we feel overwhelmed by everything we have to do (a perfect topic for the holiday season). Kendra Adachi is an expert in “compassionate time management” and the author of the book The Plan: Manage Your Time Like A Lazy Genius.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of falling into the pit of despair, we’re bringing you a little OK for your day. Every weekday, we’ll bring you one okay thing to help you start, end or endure your day with the opposite of a doom scroll. Created and hosted by Nora McInerny. - Find Nora’s weekly newsletter here! Also, check out Nora on YouTube. _ “It’s Going To Be OK” is brought to you by The Hartford. The Hartford is a leading insurance provider that connects people and technology for better employee benefits.  Learn more at www.thehartford.com/benefits.  _ Share your OK thing at 502-388-6529‬ or by emailing a note or voice memo to IGTBO@feelingsand.co. Start your message with “I’m (name) and it’s going to be okay.”  _ The IGTBO team is Nora McInerny, Claire McInerny, Marcel Malekebu, Amanda Romani and Grace Barry. _ The transcript for this episode can be found here. Find all our shows and more at www.feelingsand.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices