in collaboration with Sheppard's Community Action Team Helping Agencies
Connect to Thrive
November 2026 | Seasonal Stress and Transitions
The holidays bring time with people we care about. They also bring travel, money pressure, schedule changes, and for many of us, time away from home. Feeling stretched this time of year is common, and there are simple skills that help.
For Team Sheppard, from the 82d Training Wing Integrated Resilience Office.
Connection is what people want most this season, and it is one of our strongest readiness enabling factors.
Holiday anxiety is rising. The same national poll found that seeing family and friends was what people looked forward to most. For Team Sheppard, the takeaway is practical: building connection on purpose gives people what they want this time of year, and the DAF Prevention Outreach and Awareness Guide names connectedness as the foundation of violence prevention. The skills in this issue are small, specific, and meant to be practiced this month.
Holiday anxiety is climbing
In a November 2025 American Psychiatric Association poll, 41% of U.S. adults said they felt more anxious about the holidays than the year before, up from 28% in 2024. The same poll shows where the pressure comes from and where the relief comes from.
Adults who felt more anxious about the holidays than the year before
looked forward to seeing family and friends most of all
APA Healthy Minds Poll, Nov 2025named the economy as a source of holiday anxiety
APA Healthy Minds Poll, Nov 2025felt more anxious than the year before, up from 28%
APA Healthy Minds Poll, Nov 2025What this season can ask of us
A stressor is anything that demands our energy and attention. We feel stressed when our brain decides we don't have enough resources to meet those demands. November and December bring a lot of good things, and a few that take extra energy. Here are three that many of us feel this time of year.
A season of change
At Sheppard, November and December bring classes graduating, new Airmen arriving, PCS moves, and leave plans. Then comes Holiday Exodus, when thousands of Airmen in training head home on leave at nearly the same time. For many, it's their first trip home since basic training, and coming back means settling into the routine again after time with family. Even happy changes take some getting used to.
Holiday spending adds up
In the same national poll, 75% of adults said the economy was on their minds this time of year. Gifts, travel, and events can add up quickly. If you would like to create a monthly spend plan or tweak your current plan to cover holiday expenses, please call the M&FRC at (940) 676-4358 to schedule an appointment.
Missing home
Many members of Team Sheppard will spend Thanksgiving away from family, some for the first time. The DAF Prevention Outreach and Awareness Guide names connectedness across individuals, families, units, peers, leaders, and communities as the foundation of violence prevention. This month is a good time to put that into practice.
Six skills to practice this month
Small, specific, and doable. Pick one to start.
Breathe on purpose
Whether it's a packed travel day or a holiday shift on the flightline, when stress creeps in, take a few slow breaths from your belly instead of your chest. Focus on the breath or name the feeling you notice. Deliberate breathing calms your body's stress response so you can think more clearly about what's in front of you.
Plan for your stress points
If you know what tends to stress you out, like a travel day, a crowded gathering, or a hard conversation, make a plan for handling it ahead of time. Walking in prepared helps you feel more in control.
Set one boundary before plans fill up
Decide ahead of time on a spending limit, how long you will stay at an event, or which invitations you will pass on. A decision made early is easier to keep.
Practice gratitude on purpose
Once a week, write down a few specific things you are thankful for. In a well-known study, people who kept weekly gratitude lists felt better about their lives overall and more optimistic about the week ahead than people who listed daily hassles.
Be a wingman
Think of an Airman, Guardian, or coworker who is new, far from family, or staying on base over the holiday. Send a text, save them a seat, or invite them to your Thanksgiving table. And if you're the one feeling down or alone, let your wingman know. Call or text someone in your life.
Keep your routine
Sleep, movement, and regular meals keep you steady when your schedule gets busy. Keep up your usual self-care habits on leave, on a pass, or wherever you spend the holidays.
Three ways to lead through the holidays
Ask about holiday plans before leave and pass periods start, and find out who is staying in the local area.
Share this newsletter and the resources below with your team.
Recognize the people who keep the mission going over the holidays. A simple, specific thank-you goes a long way.
Thank the people who show up
Thank you to the helping agencies, Community Action Team members, and volunteers who show up for Team Sheppard all year.
This month's challenge: thank one person who made your year better and tell them exactly why.
Save these numbers
Support is available around the clock. Save these in your phone before you need them.
24/7 crisis support
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- Call or text 988
- Military and Veterans Crisis Line
- Dial 988, then press 1, or text 838255
Sheppard AFB
- Behavioral Health
- 940-676-6075
- Chaplain Corps
- 940-676-0014After hours through the Command Post: 940-676-6266
- Military and Family Readiness Center
- 940-676-4358Spend plans and holiday budgeting appointments
Adult Military and Family Life Counselors
- 80 FTW
- 940-326-2184
- 82 TRW
- 940-304-7246
- 362 TRS
- 940-344-1322
Child and Youth Military and Family Life Counselors
- CDC/YC
- 940-273-3057
- John Tower Elementary
- 940-344-1322
- Sheppard Elementary
- 940-882-0890
Anytime support
- Military OneSource
- 1-800-342-9647Financial counseling, non-medical counseling, and more. Visit Military OneSource
- Civilian Employee Assistance Program
- 1-866-580-907824/7 for NAF/AP employees
Local community
- Wichita Falls Area Food Bank
- 940-766-2322
- 2-1-1 North Texas
- Dial 211
- More Resources
- Find helping agency resources on Sheppard Connect
Start with one connection this week
Connection is what people want most this season, and it is one of the strongest readiness enabling factors we have. You do not need to do all six skills. Pick one person who is new, far from home, or staying on base, and make the first move: send a text, save them a seat, or invite them to your table. Supervisors, ask about holiday plans now, before leave begins, so no Airman or Guardian is overlooked.