The month of May marks Mental Health Awareness month. It’s also the time when many of us are starting to work in our gardens to prepare them for the growing season. For some, this activity takes us outside and connects us with nature, which can be a way to support our mental wellbeing, an important part of our overall wellness.
Mental and emotional health can be benefited by spending time outdoors, and in particular during the spring after a long winter season, the warmer temperatures reset our clocks, and bright sunshine lightens our mood. What better way to spend time outdoors than in a garden. Garden activities, such as working in the soil, planting, and even pulling weeds, provide an opportunity for some amount of physical activity and can help to boost our moods.
Growing vegetables can improve eating habits, creating a positive routine. Doing this helps us look forward to being outside, working among the plants. The more time spent outdoors, the more we can notice the natural life that exists in the garden. Planning special meals around the harvest, sharing what we’ve grown with family and friends, gives a sense of pride and excitement. Swapping gardening stories, advice, and tips with others expands our social bonds.
Interested in learning more about gardening and how it can improve your mood? Please join Healthy Archuleta and the Pagosa Springs Community Garden this year for Garden Conversations. The first meeting is this coming Saturday morning, May 17, from 9:00 to 10:00am in the Pagosa Springs Community Garden. Garden Conversations is a gathering of local gardening enthusiasts and those just wanting to connect with like minds, happy to just chat about the ins and outs of growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers in Archuleta County.
The Garden Conversations will happen twice a month from May until September on the following Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00am on May 17 and 24, June 14 and 28, July 12 and 26, August 9 and 23, September 13 and 27. We hope to see you there!
Healthy Archuleta is committed to increasing access to mental and behavioral health care services in Archuleta County and local workforce development. As part of this process, Healthy Archuleta partnered with Stacey Foss, counselor and co-owner of Authentic Solutions Consulting to host a two-part Motivational Interviewing Training. Participants included representatives from different health, education, and human service agencies around Archuleta County. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a counseling method described as an “evidence based, person centered method for fostering change and growth.” A motivational interviewing approach helps people explore the ambivalence and challenges they are facing in making positive behavior changes. This therapy method can be applied within a wide range of helping professions, including the field of mental and behavioral health.
On May 9, 2025, participants learned about Motivational Interviewing and how to incorporate it into their work with agencies. Stacey introduced the training goals and what participants could expect from next month’s session. Everyone introduced themselves and their job positions, and shared their familiarity with Motivational Interviewing and its benefits. Stacey discussed the five stages of change: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Participants identified characteristics of each stage and its appearance in individuals. They also practiced rephrasing questions into open-ended ones, a key aspect of using the Motivational Interviewing method.
Motivational interviewing is a style that is person centered. It is built on the belief that everyone and anyone is capable of making a lasting positive behavioral change in their life. Everyone at this training will have the opportunity to use this skill in the work they do, and hopefully, in turn, will have a positive impact on the community members they serve. The second Motivational Interviewing training session that is a part of this series will take place early next month, and participants will have the opportunity to have one-on-one practice with each other and keep learning how to build on change talk. Stay tuned to hear more!
To learn more about the efforts of Healthy Archuleta, please visit our website at www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org or send us an email at fsfearchuleta@gmail.com.