I’ve gotten used to saying,“I continue to be blessed with gainful employment” in my usual flat sarcastic tone. At a surface level it’s gratitude focused, but the context of my high-stress job and my deadpan delivery accurately communicates my stress level but in a way people find just humorous enough that it doesn’t stress them out further in turn. Communicating my inner emotional state in a way they don’t find stressful also helps create a very slight emotional intimacy that benefits the highly team-oriented nature of my work. On the other hand it allows both of us to maintain a comfortable emotional distance because it doesn’t really prompt any in-depth response or inquiries into my well being, just an acknowledgement that I said it such as,“I know, right?”

So I would maybe see if you can find a similar scripted / canned statement that communicates your actual emotional state in a slightly humorous manner. For instance if you work in a 9-5 office job people might respond well to “Whelp. It’s Monday alright” or “They’re gettin’ their money’s worth outta me today!” Exactly what sounds good with your overall “vibe” will vary and might take some experimentation to find. You can practice saying it in front of a mirror or under your breath and after a while it will just start rolling off your tongue with very little cognitive effort on your part.

Source: am high acuity psych nurse with a borderline personality diagnosis. I’ve had a lot of social skills training as part of my own diagnosis / treatment plus I’ve observed a lot of people’s behavior and had to learn a lot about team dynamics to do my job.

Best of luck!