Election anxiety? Our Whole Lives can help!

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there is an election coming up on Tuesday, November 3. (Please note my sarcasm, if you are lucky enough not to be inundated with ads, text messages, and polling phone calls—I am jealous!).

Election season can be a time of great anxiety for many. While our UU faith encourages us to live our faith into action (maybe it’s helping get people to the polls, or writing postcards, or being an election judge), there is only so much one person can do over large-scale problems.

When we don’t feel like we have control over a large system, OWL (Our Whole Lives) can help!

What might a comprehensive sexuality class have to do with anxiety? Quite a lot, actually. In OWL there is much discussion on boundaries, personal safety, healthy relationships, and consent. When a group of people engage with these in a healthy and responsible way, micro understandings become macro changes. And, in turn, make our communities (religious, school, city, state, and nation) safer.

So, if you, or a child, or a grandparent, or a neighbor, is feeling anxious this week or next, I encourage you to engage in some OWL practices:

When we discuss boundaries in OWL we tell our “OWL-lets” that “No” is a complete sentence. No. I do not want to listen to hateful rhetoric. No. I do not want to discuss your personal or political opinions. It is empowering to embrace your inner toddler and tell people no.  

You are allowed to keep yourself safe and comfortable and tell someone no. And they need to respect that no. If they don’t, that’s a “them” problem, and not a “you” problem. One way we can ensure the safety of ourselves and others is to respect when someone says no.  

Healthy relationships are a key component of every OWL curriculum. And a key component of all healthy relationships is respect. This goes in all directions. Respect travels from elders to younglings, just like it goes from younglings to elders. It goes between races, cultures, gender, orientation, disability, class, and creed. When respect feels difficult, it is time to delve into our Universalist roots and remember we are all worthy of dignity and love.

And finally, coming soon to the First Universalist OWL page, there will be a comprehensive consent education page for all ages. You’ll find book recommendations, videos, and resources to learn or relearn all the things you never learned about consent.

Whew. That’s a lot. Because you know what? This IS a lot. It’s a lot to hold ambiguous anxiety over intangible systems. It’s a lot to see our beloveds’ humanity under attack. It’s a lot to fear for our own or our neighbors’ safety.  

My hope for y’all is that you’re able to take some time to absorb this information and turn back to it in the coming days. Because you are not alone. We are holding this together.