The Ides of March

Beware the ides of March, am I right? The first March that I ever worked on a crisis team, my supervisor kindly let me know that March was going to be BUSY. I was super confused. It had made sense to me why the holidays would be busy, or why we would see a rush of calls right at the beginning and the end of the school year. But March, she had lost me there. She was right though, and I worked quite a bit of overtime.

March takes a toll on people’s mental health. It’s one of the few months that does not have any federal holidays. For K-12 students, it’s one of the months that also does not have a built-in school vacation. In many climates it continues to be a dreary continuation of winter, with bad weather and lack of sun continuing for weeks after many people have lost tolerance to the cold and lack of sun. It’s important to recognize that while March may seem like any other month at face value, it actually contains hidden challenges that are more difficult than they appear.

Discussion Tips with Clients:

·      Talk to clients about the additional stressors that can come up with March. Most will not realize that there are concrete barriers in this month unless it is discussed. That can make it easier to down play struggles or blame themselves for “struggling too much”.  

·      Encourage your client to schedule a mental health day. Since there is nothing already in the schedule, it is helpful to have client’s schedule their own holiday to assist in relieving tension.

·      Focus on stress management for at least part of the session. Many of our clients lack basic regulation skills, and stress management is a common concern that can make other symptoms worse. It’s also a place where we can teach clients a small task that often has a big benefit.

·      Ask about family conflicts at holidays. Easter is falling in March this year, which might add extra stress if family get togethers are not typically a positive experience.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Cally & Zelda