Notes today, answers tomorrow.

When things feel heavy, a few simple words can act like a quiet hand on your shoulder. As a teacher, I keep short, true sentences ready for moments when a student looks lost, overwhelmed, or unsure. These lines aren’t magic, but they can steady you, remind you who you are, and help you take the next small step. Try saying them out loud, write them on a note, or listen when a friend says them to you. Here are phrases I use that have helped kids breathe a little easier and learn to carry feelings without being carried by them:

• "This is hard right now."
• "You don’t have to do it alone."
• "It’s okay to feel this."
• "One small step is enough."
• "I see you trying."
• "Mistakes help you grow."
• "You are allowed to rest."
• "I believe in you."

Each short sentence does something different. “This is hard right now” names the trouble so it stops being a secret monster. Saying “You don’t have to do it alone” opens the door for help, which is a superpower at any age. “It’s okay to feel this” gives permission for whatever emotion shows up, because feelings aren’t right or wrong—they just are. “One small step is enough” keeps big problems from feeling impossible; when you break things into tiny pieces, they become do-able. Hearing “I see you trying” matters more than a perfect result—effort is what builds courage. “Mistakes help you grow” changes mistakes from failures into lessons. “You are allowed to rest” reminds you that being tired or sad is a sign to take care of yourself, not to be ashamed. And “I believe in you” hands you a little extra bravery when you doubt yourself.

Use these phrases with action: take three slow breaths, draw the feeling, tell one person what’s wrong, or make a plan for a tiny next step. Teachers can stick a phrase on the board, make a classroom poster, or teach kids to carry a phrase in their pocket. Friends can practice saying them to each other until they feel natural. Sometimes the calmest thing a grown-up or classmate can do is repeat one sentence and wait — that silence gives kids space to find their own words.

You don’t need to solve everything at once. Keep these phrases handy like notes to yourself: short, kind, and steady. Over time, they help build something strong inside—a little voice that says you can ask for help, that feelings pass, and that each small step adds up to something big. I’ll say them to you, and I hope you’ll say them to yourself.