Here in Missoula, the sun has finally started to show its face after a long, cold, dark winter. I for one, am thrilled to see the blue skies, budding trees and flowers, and people lounging in bikini tops on the oval. These are all signals that spring has truly arrived -- at least for the moment. But with the arrival of springtime and nice weather, it’s important to talk about self-care in relation to outdoor activities.

Sometimes self-care is drawing your blinds and staying in your room and binging "Parks and Rec" on Netflix and not feeling guilty about it.

This past Friday, was the first truly nice day we’ve had here in Missoula since October. Lucky for me, all three of my Friday classes were canceled, so I had a whole entire day ahead of me to get out an enjoy the sunshine. Unfortunately for me, I was feeling awful. Sickness, exhaustion, stress, whatever it was, I was feeling pretty gross.

So when my usual alarm went off, I turned it off and rolled back over and went to sleep. I woke up a few hours later, feeling a little bit better thanks to the extra sleep, but still pretty annoyed with myself that I was wasting this beautiful day. I did have a club meeting at noon, so I roused myself and headed across campus. I was greeted by blinding sunshine and people on the Oval en masse.

I was quite happy to be done with my meeting and be able to scurry back to my cave of darkness in my bedroom. I spent the rest of the day alternating between snoozing and catching up on homework before I conked out at an agreeable 11:30 pm. I woke up on Saturday and felt a whole lot better because I’d allowed myself some time to rest.

The point of this anecdote is this: sometimes it’s okay, sometimes it’s necessary to forgo the outdoors in order to get to the point where being outside is enjoyable and not painful.

Allow yourself the downtime indoors without feeling guilty or like you’re squandering the nice day. Of course, sometimes being outside is the solution to your problems, but not always. When you’re already feeling tired and blah and gross, sitting outside in the sun is only going to make you feel more weary, especially when it’s the first sunshine of the year.

Other important things to remember is that being outside might be self-care, but it’s also important to take care of yourself when you’re out in the sunshine. Wear sunscreen, stay hydrated, and enjoy being outside in ways that are comfortable. If that means embarking on a five-mile long hike, go for it. If that means lounging in the shade of a tree with a good book, embrace that.

This spring and summer, let’s all enjoy the great outdoors in ways that are safe and healthy for us, and remember that sometimes downtime indoors is just as important as soaking up the sunshine.