Use these winter affirmations to help you better appreciate the season you're in. They're for your emotions... the ones that are hard to love. The ones that, when you sit with them and let them breathe and be, will teach you to see the beauty in almost anything. May this be a season of rooting, if not blooming.

All the feelings: that’s kind of what happens when you’re going through hard times, or healing in the aftermath. Especially when it's the holiday season, a time of celebration, and you're hurting. And you know what? You’re allowed to feel everything. You’re human, not made of stone.

I know how hard it is to keep your heart open after it's been forcibly cracked open. I also know that it's the only way to heal, connect, and feel joy rising up through the cracks where the light got in. Here are some thoughts on grief, losing the person you love so much, and keeping them in your heart for as long as you live.

What if you’re not ready to change? Not ready to feel the full spectrum of your feelings? What if your healing feels rushed… even if it’s been months, years since you started hurting? This is a short note just to say… it’s OK. You’re OK. Treat yourself like a garden & you’ll see, you don’t have to bloom all year long.

I hope you look for one thing and, by chance, find something else beautiful and true. I hope that wherever you look, you see a piece of yourself in everything, and recognize in yourself an entire universe... In the end, I hope you find what you're looking for, especially when it's not what you set out to find.

If you have depression and you're still here living, doing what you can, you're not only a survivor -- you're one of the strongest people. For the times you don't feel very strong or worthwhile, keep these depression affirmations close to your heart. Consider them something to hold on to when you need more light.

The right weather to match your mood: it’s like Mother Nature understands you. Here’s a little poem/ode to feeling your feelings and feeling understood when the nature around you mirrors the nature within you. Remember: you're more than your feelings, more than the weather. You're the whole sky, and the earth too.

I wanted to share this short poem about you being here, and what a miracle that is, in case it's something you need to hear today. I want you to close your eyes and imagine the stardust that makes up your very soul. I want you to put all of yourself into each moment, wherever you go. I want you to live.

If your self-love is shoddy or shot, keep this in mind: your self-love might waver but your self-care doesn’t have to stop. Tiny acts of care keep you afloat in times of self-loathing. And you don't need to take care of yourself because you love yourself. Do it for no reason at all. The love will come. Eventually.

Been through the wringer? If there's someone you want to thank for helping you through hard times, read this letter. It works for the grief support or the battles with chronic illness. For the 2am tears that kept you both up. Or anything that made you wonder how on earth you'd pull through. Share it if it hits home.