Taking 15 minutes a day to do something for yourself—like painting your nails—can help relieve stress and anxiety, a speaker from the Office of Student Engagement told students on Oct. 18.

More than 30 students met on campus to paint each other’s nails and learn self-care techniques to improve their health.

 “I tried to plan an event where people could come listen to music, enjoy the company of other people on campus, talk about self-care and then practice self-care in the form of painting their nails,” said Sydney Klabnik, the event’s coordinator and a second-year psychology student.

Students learned that self-care techniques like relaxing, painting your nails, taking a walk, cooking a nice meal or watching TV can help manage stress and reduce the odds of heart disease, anxiety disorders and depression.

Klabnik, whose title is “new student experience assistant,” said the number of students who came to the event exceeded her expectations for an in-person gathering.

Klabnik said students can incorporate self-care in their daily lives to eliminate symptoms of stress, such as headaches or stomach aches.

Students said they came to the event to learn more about self-care and to meet new people on campus.

 “It’s given me new ideas on what I can do for self-care when I run out of things,” Alexandra Verrette, a first-year psychology student, said.

Painting each other’s nails gave attendees an opportunity to interact with other students.

 “I came with friends that I don’t get to be with all the time and I’m meeting new friends,” Victor Solis, a third-year business administration student, said.