When we want to increase our level of happiness, we usually turn to a self-help resource. Maybe it’s a book by SARK or Dr. Richard Carlson; maybe it’s a blog or community online, such as The Happiness Project or YES! magazine. Still we may turn to a close friend or family member, or a comedy program, or our favorite pastime to get a little happier than we were when we woke up all grouchy and irritated and so not ready for the DMV.

But how many of us turn to psychology? Many people see a shrink on a regular basis—which I’m completely in favor of; if it were possible and affordable I think everyone should see one at least a few times a year—and still others who are chronically unhappy due to a medical condition sometimes take medicine to keep the doldrums at bay. I’m also in favor of this, too, as long as it’s not overdone—too many doctors write off patients with a prescription instead of trying to help them with their problems.

(And those who are not in favor of medication for depression—cough! Tom Cruise, cough!—are just a little weird to me. Why are you so interested in other peoples’ diagnosis? If you don’t want to be medicated yourself, fine, but stay out of other people’s medical privacy. You have no idea what they are going through and what kind of imbalances may be present. Do you argue over meds for high cholesterol, blood pressure, or diabetes too?)

But how many of us turn to the power of psychology itself to help us get happier? Martin Seligman, a pioneer author in the Positive Psychology movement, suggests that we do. Seligman has followed his bestselling Learned Optimism up with a book on positive human emotions called Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. In this latest text, Seligman points out that we’re focusing so much on “stress relief” that we aren’t focusing on all of the good things that make life worth living in the first place!

He bases the book on finding what Aristotle deemed “the good life.” Rather than just telling you why you should be happy (though he does discuss this—and shouldn’t we all already know not only the benefits but, um, that we freaking feel better when were’ happy?), Seligman talks the walk by giving readers ways to get happier. Through various tests and his website (if you’ve taken his positive psychology tests you know they’re pretty amazing; I did a few of these in a class and was just astounded), he tries to help people raise their “happiness quotient” through increasing our strengths in our everyday interactions.

And think about it—your strengths are usually what make you happier. Creativity, humor, inquisitiveness, affection—whatever your strengths are, using them more in your daily life—rather than the normal mundane activities you usually do—are bound to make you feel better, right? It really does make sense, and Seligman does a great job of explaining how and why. You can use the book as a toolkit for using positive psychology on yourself and feeling a little better. Come on, get happy!