Sun!

This week’s blog is going to deal with the self-care aspect of my blog.

I don’t know about you all, but I am someone who goes to every class and gets everything done early or on time. In high school, I was not someone who “skipped” class; in fact, I got perfect attendance for cross country 4 years in a row. If I was sick, my mom would offer to let me stay home, but I always refused, insisting I needed to go to school. Even when Covid hit, I missed being in school, with my friends, as well as learning in-person. While being taught online definitely had its benefits, I missed being in school. Reflecting back on then, I could have probably taken advantage of being at home to sit outside in the beautiful spring weather more. According to SelectHealth, there are a plethora of benefits to being in the sun. These include: improving sleep, reducing stress, and strengthening your immune system, not to mention much more.

My friends and I have been asking my one professor to take us outside for class for a while. The issue is that she needs the projector, and she also logs onto Zoom. After weeks of talking about it, we decided last week that the next class we would sit outside and take class from there. After all, attendance doesn’t count as a grade in our class, so it would not harm us. While I was wondering if it was the right idea initially, it definitely was. I am not saying skip classes to sit outside, but when an opportunity like this comes up, I advise you take it every now and then. My friends and I sat 10 feet away from the building, just on the grass, logged onto the zoom, and took our notes from there. It was very pleasant, and I felt much less stressed. Especially with the winter coming, and the more than often brisker days now, pleasant, sunny days are a rare find.

Whether it is taking a Zoom class outside, reading, doing homework, playing a sport, or simply walking, I definitely recommend taking advantage of our sunny days. Go for a run, walk with a friend, or eat a picnic in the arboretum. I just wish that with all of the alternatives to learning now, that professors would find more opportunities to take us outside. As elementary school kids, we needed to go outside to burn off our energy and learn how to socialize with others during recess. I believe now just simply being outside is needed for our mental health. Feeling the sun on your face is such an endorphin releasing feeling, at least for me. I know that if I were to take my midterms outside, during the day when it is sunny, I would feel less stressed than being inside with cold, stale air. So this week, find time for yourself to sit outside, even if just for half an hour, and soak in some sun.