Adam . .:
after having experimented with plenty of techniques and given at least a few of them a sincere try i think the type of practice which is most effective at affect reduction is the 'direct mode' practice as described by Kenneth Folk. i'm not totally sure that what i am doing matches up perfectly with that - I am essentially fixing attention on affect as it is felt in the body and not allowing it to invade my thoughts or way of perceiving things.
Sounds close enough that it's probably leading to the same state(s).
The key to direct mode, as I understood and experienced it, is the continuous directing and re-directing of attention to "ground" the affect. However, there is a subtlety here: the amount of "force" or effort or whatever that's required to get this result isn't always the same at all times. The more you try, the more affect you generate; so it's helpful to match the effort you exert with the effort that is needed to keep your attention working in the right way.
So, a practical suggestion: once you get good at this practice, see if you can progressively use a lighter and lighter touch, and yet retain attentiveness. (Don't hestitate to use a heavy touch when you need to, just remember that if your concentration is good, it may not be required, and if you stick with the practice long enough, you can slowly move to a lighter and lighter touch as your default.) That's what worked for me (though I didn't necessarily think of it in these terms at the time).
If you're examining what's pleasant and what's not pleasant, and seeing that more clearly over time, I'm confident that any reasonable practice that involves attentiveness will work, and it's just a matter of determining what plays to your strengths and life circumstances.