DEAR READERS: On the cusp of Thanksgiving, whether or not you are looking for a job, loathe your job or love it, hopefully there are some redeeming qualities about it to reframe employment into something more positive. What brings you job joy, better yet — what are you grateful for?

There really is something to be said about having an attitude of gratitude. According to various studies, gratitude is connected to emotional and psychological well-being. Whether you jot down things you’re grateful for as a morning or evening ritual or notice things throughout the day, it’s all good.

It can be simple or even silly, too, and you don’t need to share it with anyone. Think big things like a paycheck and having a job compared to smaller things like enjoying healthy food in the company cafeteria or carving out quiet time for an afternoon break for a brisk power walk. It could even be enjoying this long holiday weekend to spend time with your family, eat, sleep, shop and simply unplug.

“Gratitude acts like a mental recalibration tool,” said Christopher S. Reina, Ph.D., founding and executive director of the Transformative Leadership Institute and an associate professor in the department of management and entrepreneurship at Virginia Commonwealth University. “By focusing on what you do have — a paycheck, health benefits, flexibility — you armor yourself against burnout. No, it doesn’t magically fix the job, but it strengthens resilience.”

Reina suggested starting meetings or ending your day by reflecting on one thing you’re grateful for in your current job, no matter how small. “This practice can help reinforce purpose and energy. No one’s saying you have to love your job or all aspects of your job to gain value from it. But with gratitude, you can transform even the rough patches into stepping stones for growth. The trick is finding that glimmer of purpose, then exploring it intentionally for your own career and growth gains,” said Reina.

Anne-Marie Emanuelli, founder and creative director of Mindful Frontiers, an organization committed to community wellness, said, “As a meditation guide and coach, if I were coaching someone who was not really in love with their job, I would ask them what attracted them to the job in the first place. If they took the job primarily for the income, then I’d suggest they verbalize gratitude for ‘having a job that helps pay living expenses for me and my family.’”

Another question can be centered on colleagues: Is there someone you enjoy working with? If so, generate gratitude for your work family. “‘I’m grateful to work with XX or YY,’” said Emanuelli. “The bottom line of gratitude is that it is a way to change negativity, which is a go-to for our limbic brain, to something positive, which engages the brain’s frontal cortex, where reason and flexible thinking is possible.”

Vicki Salemi is a career expert for Monster, an author, a speaker and consultant, TV commentator and former corporate recruiter. For more information, visit www.vickisalemi.com and follow her on Instagram @vickisalemi./Tribune News Service