You'll be saying "thank you" plenty this holiday season.

Turns out, those two words are good for your health!

Recent studies show you actually get healthier-- if you give thanks often. Experts call it the "attitude of gratitude."

Doris Kramer has every reason to be stressed: a difficult medical condition, a divorce from the love of her life, and the challenge of raising kids alone. "I've had sometimes had three jobs at once to take care of my daughters."

Still, Doris is grateful for all that's good in her life. "I'm grateful to have two wonderful daughters. I'm grateful I have the job I have because I love working with children," she tol dus.

She even has a note taped to her bathroom mirror reminding her to give thanks each day. It says "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life."

Medically speaking, that attitude is pretty good for the body, said Kathleen Hall. She's the director of the Stress Institute.

"There's actually a physiological response and a psychological response when people are grateful. They have more energy. They're more enthusiastic. They're more optimistic," she said. And, she added, gratitude protects you from depression.

"There's an energy that moves from the brain to the heart. With that is endorphins, dopamine, the things in the physiology in the body changes," she explained.

Dr. Hall suggests starting each day by giving thanks-- or do what one of her clients does…

"He actually sets the alarm on his blackberry so three times day it goes off and he stops-wherever he is…he stops, takes a deep breath and thinks of something he's grateful for. He says it's really changed his life."

You can also keep a diary, listing little things througout the day.

This isn't a fix-all... And people with clinical depression need to seek medical attention. But experts say it's a good way to get rid of everyday stress.

The other side of gratitude is giving. Giving to others, can help you feel better.