Activate your inner popsicle.

The summer survival guide your nervous system didn’t know it needed.

🦆 CHILL THE DUCK OUT

Volume 016: Activate your inner popsicle

☀️ Today’s Hot Open

It’s getting hot down here in the South. Like… “my thigh just fused to this car seat” hot.

Oh, yes. This cat gets it.

And trust me, I speak from experience. I run hot as a human. I’m the guy who, after walking the dogs, comes inside looking like I just wrestled a fire-breathing dragon. While they flop onto the cool floor like professional nappers, I head straight for the freezer and stick my head in like I’m an aggressive health inspector determined to find expired waffle fries.

And while summer delivers on popsicles and porch hangs, it also brings short fuses, melty-brain syndrome, and the occasional “if one more person schedules a meeting at 4:00pm on a Friday, I’m moving to a yurt” moment.

It’s really not just the heat though.

Being human does the same thing sometimes.
Emails pile up.
People breathe too loudly near you.
Your kiddo hits the phase where they start every sentence with “Actually…”
Your brain treats minor inconveniences like DEFCON 1 emergencies.

Whether it’s 95 degrees outside or just another Thursday, your nervous system is doing its best to protect you, but sometimes it needs to chill out… literally.

Lucky for us, our bodies actually have a built-in chill switch. And it lives right on your face-ish.

Let’s melt into this week’s newsletter like a rocket pop on a summer sidewalk.

🧠 The Science Bit

Dramatically splashing cold water on your face isn't just what people do in movies when they need to "get it together." It's actually a legitimate nervous system hack.

When you plunge your face into cold water, hold a chilled can to your neck, or press something cool between your eyes, you're doing more than chasing relief from life's metaphorical heat. You're activating your parasympathetic nervous system, which is your body's "rest and digest" mode (aka the antidote to your inner anxiety gremlin).

Your body's built-in chill switch

Here's the fun science behind why cold water to the face works like magic.

The diving response is real. When your face hits cold water (we're talking actually cold, not "refreshing summer beverage" cold), your body thinks you're about to become an aquatic mammal. I fancy myself a walrus, majestically flopping toward inner peace one icy splash at a time. Anywho, this triggers an ancient survival mechanism that automatically slows your heart rate and redirects blood flow to essential organs. It's like your nervous system's emergency "everybody stay calm" protocol.

Your vagus nerve gets involved. This big nerve runs through your neck, face, and chest, carrying calming signals through your body like a super chill highway. Cold exposure stimulates the vagus nerve, essentially sending a text to your brain that says, "Hey, we're safe now. You can stop running that internal fire drill."

The temperature matters. Research shows that significant cold exposure, think cold showers, ice baths, or face-dunking in legitimately cold water, can influence stress hormones and mood regulation. Unfortunately, dramatically fanning yourself while sipping iced tea probably isn't going to rewire your nervous system, no matter how theatrically you do it.

The real deal vs. the wishful thinking

Studies on cold water swimming and cold therapy show genuine benefits for stress resilience and mood, but these involve actual cold exposure that makes you go "holy wow, that's cold!" not just "ahh, refreshing."

But you don't need to become a polar bear enthusiast to benefit. Even simple face-dunking in cold water or a legitimately cold shower can trigger the right responses. Your nervous system doesn't require you to suffer in an ice bath for twenty minutes. It just needs enough of a cold signal to activate that ancient diving response.

TL;DR: Cooling your face and neck activates your vagus nerve, calms your body, and lowers stress. No meditation app required. Suck it, Calm. Just kidding. I love that app.

🍟 This Week’s Happytizer

Cool… on purpose.

Try a cold-based nervous system reset today. Nothing extreme. Just small, sneaky refresh buttons that actually work:

  • Splash your face with cold water and exhale like a dramatic movie heroine who just had a life-changing realization.

  • Keep a gel eye mask in the fridge for post-work "my nervous system is officially clocking out" vibes.

  • Press something legitimately chilled (ice pack, frozen water bottle, bag of frozen peas) to the back of your neck for 30 seconds.

  • Take a cold shower ending. Even just 30 seconds of cold water at the end of your regular shower counts.

  • Do the classic face-dunk in a bowl of cold water, because sometimes the most ridiculous-looking solution is the most effective.

Your skin might tingle, your heart rate might slow, and your nervous system might finally get the memo that it's okay to stop running that background anxiety program.

Pro tip: The colder, the better for actually triggering your diving response. Remember, we're talking "whoa, that's cold!" not "ahh, refreshing." Your ancient aquatic reflexes don't activate for lukewarm.

🎉 Unsolicited Joy of the Week

In Boston, during a brutal heatwave, a local petsitter noticed a gaggle of geese struggling in the sun, beaks open, wings drooped, looking very much over it.

Instead of walking by, she stepped in like a feathered-first responder, offering water and shade to help the panting birds cool down. The video went viral (3M+ views!) because apparently, the internet loves goose-related compassion.

It’s a reminder that kindness doesn’t need a reason… just a moment. And sometimes the most heroic thing you can do is hydrate someone who honks.

💬 Tell me your favorite way to cool off

Are you a freezer-face-plunger? A popsicle philosopher? A fan-in-front-of-the-fridge whisperer?

Oh, and if this brought you even 1% more chill, forward it to a friend… or I’ll start mailing you melted popsicles with inspirational quotes handwritten on the sticky sticks.

❤️ A Lil’ Click, A Lotta Love

Want to help me keep doing cool stuff like t-shirt raffles, sticker giveaways, and possibly mailing someone a pool float shaped like a rubber duck?

Clicking the link below for this sponsor helps support the newsletter at zero cost to you. It’s like leaving a top without ever touching your wallet 😉

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🫶 Duckin’ Done

That’s Volume 016.
Here’s to science-backed refreshment, sneaky nervous system hacks, and summer strategies that actually work.

Until next time: breathe deep, stay cool, and chill the duck out.

— Jason

🧐 Behind the Curtain

And yes, real scientists with actual degrees have spent time studying why splashing cold water on your face makes you feel better — bless them.

  • Espeland, D., de Weerd, L., & Mercer, J. B. (2022). "Health effects of voluntary exposure to cold water – a continuing subject of debate." International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 81(1), 2111789.

  • Lindholm, P., & Lundgren, C. E. (2009). "The physiology and pathophysiology of human breath-hold diving." Journal of Applied Physiology, 106(1), 284-292.

  • Shevchuk, N. A. (2008). "Adapted cold shower as a potential treatment for depression." Medical Hypotheses, 70(5), 995-1001.