Suppression
Deliberately inhibiting the outward expression of a felt emotion — a strategy applied to a feeling, not a feeling itself.
How it shows up
Suppression means holding back the outward signs of a feeling: keeping a straight face in a tense meeting, swallowing tears, not showing irritation to a child. It can be useful in short bursts when expression would be costly. Research suggests that relying on it habitually tends to leave the feeling intact inside, take effort, and may strain closeness, though cultural context shapes these effects. It is a strategy applied to a feeling, not a feeling.
How it differs from Emotional Detachment
Detachment disengages from the feeling itself; suppression keeps feeling it while holding back its outward expression.
Notice
Notice when you hold a feeling behind your face, and what it costs or protects in that moment.
Where it is felt
Felt most in the chest, throat and shoulders.
Based on Nummenmaa et al. (2014), bodily maps of emotions, and related research. The map shows where people report bodily sensation, on average; individual experience varies.