Feelings do not last forever — they come and go, like weather. You might feel sad in the morning and happy by lunchtime. Knowing that feelings change helps you be patient with yourself when you are having a hard time, because the hard feeling will pass.
Use a weather metaphor: feelings are like clouds passing through the sky — sometimes sunny, sometimes rainy, always changing. Have children track their feelings at different times of day using a simple chart. Read stories where a character's feelings change throughout the day.
Here is something wonderful to know: feelings do not last forever — they come and go. Feelings are like the weather in the sky. Sometimes it is sunny, sometimes it is rainy, sometimes it is snowy, but the weather always changes. Your feelings work the same way! You might feel sad in the morning and happy by lunchtime. You might feel excited at the start of the day and tired at bedtime.
When you feel sad or angry or scared right now, it can feel like you will feel that way forever. But that is not true. All feelings pass. The sadness will get lighter. The anger will cool down. The fear will fade away. It might take a little while, but change is coming. Knowing this helps you be patient with yourself when you are having a hard time.
Something special to remember: it is completely normal for your feelings to change many times in one day. You might feel grumpy when you wake up, happy when you see your friend, frustrated when something is hard, excited about snack time, and silly before bedtime. All of these feelings can happen in one day, and that is perfect and healthy. You are not broken or confused — you are just being a normal human with normal feelings.
You might wonder, "Can I make feelings go away faster if I try hard?" The answer is no. Feelings have their own timing. The more you try to push a feeling away or ignore it, the longer it might stay. It is better to let feelings move through you naturally, like clouds passing through the sky. Notice the feeling, maybe talk about it, maybe do something to help yourself feel a little better, and then let it pass on its own time.
The most wonderful part about knowing feelings come and go is that the happy feelings will come back. When you are sad, happy is on its way. When you are angry, calm is coming. Every single feeling is temporary, and the next feeling is always approaching.