Reinterpret the situation instead of suppressing the feeling
Pushing an emotion down costs more and works less than changing what the event means.
Do this
When something lands badly, generate at least two other readings of it that fit the same facts. Not cheerful ones - plausible ones. Then act on the most useful of them. Do this before the feeling has fully built, if you can.
Why it works
Cognitive reappraisal reliably reduces negative emotion and shows healthier physiological profiles. Expressive suppression - keeping a straight face while feeling the same thing - reduces the outward signal without reducing the experience, and carries costs to memory and to social connection.
Where it fails
Reappraisal is much harder when the situation is genuinely bad and unchangeable, and forcing it can become a way of denying legitimate grievance. In uncontrollable circumstances, acceptance-based approaches tend to outperform it.
How you’ll know
You should be able to state the alternative reading and actually half-believe it. If you are reciting it while feeling nothing shift, you are suppressing with extra steps.