Baggage Check: The Power of Thanks

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Dr. Andrea Bonior dives into the world of psychology.

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR again—extra traffic, extra stuffing, and extra ads about a 4 a.m. sale on leather gloves.

But once again, especially in this time of economic turmoil, it also becomes important to give some thought to the meaning of Thanksgiving. No, not just the historically dubious notion of a harmonious, gut-busting gathering of buckled hats and feathered vests, but the fact that taking a moment to reflect on what there is to be grateful for in one’s life can actually have quite a positive outcome on someone’s mental health.

I've written before about the beneficial health effects of taking time to express gratitude. This year, however, it might seem more difficult than most. People are identifying higher stress levels in their lives now than they have in a long time: the added suffering is real. But the harder it is to think about all of the positive aspects of our lives, the more important it is that we do so. The worse we feel, the more we can use the mental help that a bit of being thankful can provide.

This Thanksgiving, try to take some time to think about just one positive thing — even if it's just that you weren't the one basting turkey. In time, you might find that doing this on a more frequent basis gives you a real mood boost — now that's something to be thankful for.

Talk back to Dr. Andrea by leaving a comment below. To ask a question for Baggage Check in the Express print edition, e-mail baggage@readexpress.com or submit an anonymous question here.