It's a phrase that's thrown around a lot these days, especially in November. As we approach Thanksgiving, we wanted to do a deep dive into gratefulness, and why it makes us feel better.

At Central High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, theater students will soon be the center of attention. They are prepping for the musical "Mamma Mia!" Ella Connor is helping coordinate the music. 

"I'm grateful for, like, at school, I get to participate in so many different types of music and, like, leadership roles," Connor said.

And that's not all they are grateful for.

"I am grateful for food. I love Italian food," said cast member Desmond Holland.

Naomi Carter is also in the cast.

"Drawing or singing or playing guitar," Carter said. "I feel grateful when I'm doing it, because I can." 

It's not just musicals they practice, it's gratefulness, too. 

"It's like really intentionally thinking about things and appreciating things that can often go, like, overlooked," one student said.

These teens are on to something, according to Dr. Katie R. Thorsness, a psychiatrist with Hennepin Healthcare.

"We have so much research and data, again, to show how effective gratitude can be," Thorsness said.

Thorsness practices gratitude in her practice with grieving patients. 

"When we practice gratitude, there's different neurotransmitters that are released in our brains, so the happy hormones or the happy neurotransmitters, like dopamine and serotonin. That can really shift our networks in our brain to see the world through more of a positive tone," she said.

Thorsness says it's internal; when we appreciate the little things, like a butterfly. And there's gratitude we give to others.

As for practicing, she says to start small: give compliments to others and yourself.

"Everyone's gratitude practice can look very different. Usually, where I start, I say start small. It doesn't have to be big, grand gesture. Maybe, before bed, writing down three things that you're grateful for that day," she said. "This is a tool that everyone can use — kids, adults, everybody — and it's free. And it really can shift and change the way that our brains operate."