At the end of each Drag Race episode, RuPaul offers us this question: “If you can’t love yourself, how the h*ll are you gonna love somebody else?” Well, that’s just what University Health Services has been wondering lately.

This past Valentine’s Day, the UHS hosted its first Love Yourself Day, a chance for students to learn about different ways of taking care of themselves and (maybe) those around them too. The event included information on how to perform “self care” (what is that mysterious self care that all those Instagram folks keep raving about, anyway?), meditation methods (surprise! It doesn’t just have to mean sitting still!), how to sleep better (find me a person who doesn’t want that), and how to reduce or quit smoking (hello, fresh breath!).

The event also offered information on popular health services, such as mental health counseling, HPV vaccinations, STI testing and counseling, physical exams, and information on student exercise groups. In keeping with UMass’s commitment to inclusion, the UHS organizers made efforts to keep the information provided accessible to all.

Love Yourself Day was a huge success! Well over 100 students visited the event and several dozen received on site STI counseling and testing during the three hour event.  “The Love Yourself concept was the brainchild of a senior nursing student. “The event was held at the campus center to improve visibility of UHS offerings.  We have a comprehensive health service available to all students right here on campus, yet many students are unfamiliar with us. “noted Diane Pankow, NP,  Director of General Medicine at UHS.

         With such a great turnout, UHS is already making plans for the next outreach program. Stay tuned for more information by checking the events page on UHS website and other UHS media postings. In the meantime, stop by the Health Center to learn more ways to keep yourself happy and healthy. We’ll see you there!