There's a lot of great research on the topic of happiness - it's the field of Positive Psychology A great "how to" book is: The How of Happiness: A New Approac

There's a lot of great research on the topic of happiness - it's the field of Positive Psychology A great "how to" book is: The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want by Sonja Lyubomirsky (a Ph.D. researcher in the field of study) http://thehowofhappiness.com http://thehowofhappiness.com -- this book shares the specific advice you share in your comment. A lot of great books I can recommend as well, e.g. Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert and The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt.