🦆 CHILL THE DUCK OUT

Volume 009: I’ve had enough chicken soup for my soul. I want chocolate, damnit.

💭 Cold Open

My wife and I recently went on a little anniversary getaway. It was the kind of trip where you wander into gift shops full of things like retro magnets, oddly inspirational dish towels, and wind chimes that cost more than college textbooks (I’m assuming they haven’t gotten any less expensive since my time there).

In one of those shops, I saw a sign that stopped me mid-scroll: “I’ve had enough chicken soup for my soul. I want chocolate.”

I chuckled. It was honest. It was unbothered. It was giving "growth is overrated, pass the truffles." Naturally, I pulled out my phone and snapped a picture.

That’s when I saw another sign taped nearby:
“No Photos of Store Merchandise, Please.”

And then her. The elderly store owner, side-eying me like I’d just shoplifted a ceramic rooster. Her look had the energy of Dorothy from The Golden Girls reacting to one of Rose’s wild stories: judgment with a splash of curiosity.

I gave a polite nod, tucked my phone away… scurried to catch up to my wife, who was relishing in all the knick-knacks, and then left with the picture and the message.

Because honestly? I’ve eaten so much metaphorical chicken soup for my soul that my inner voice smells like bouillon. I’ve journaled. Reflected. Self-helped. Grown.

But sometimes?
I don’t want insight. I want chocolate.
I want joy without a moral. Comfort without context.
A little indulgence that doesn’t fix anything, but makes the next five minutes feel better.

And that’s okay. Because healing doesn’t always come from digging deep. Sometimes it comes from snacking shallow.

🧠 The Science Bit

Let’s talk hedonic self-care. This is the kind of self-care that doesn’t require breakthroughs or growth spurts, just small, pleasurable actions that feel good for no reason.

The science actually backs up what your inner couch potato has been saying all along:

• Pleasant sensory experiences (like savoring that piece of chocolate instead of inhaling it while answering emails) activate reward pathways in your brain, including those involving dopamine, which plays a key role in how we experience pleasure and motivation.

• Research in stress psychology shows that enjoyable activities can help reduce physiological stress markers and promote relaxation. That bubble bath isn't just making your bathroom floor wet - it's potentially helping regulate your body's stress response.

• Mindfully enjoying pleasant experiences (what psychologists call "savoring") appears to support parasympathetic nervous system activity - that's the "rest and digest" mode that counterbalances your "why-is-my-heart-racing-I-just-checked-my-email" mode.

• Psychologists like Dr. Kristin Neff have found that self-compassion, which includes giving yourself permission to enjoy things without guilt, is associated with better coping, improved well-being, and greater emotional resilience. Turns out, not treating yourself like a productivity robot actually helps you function better.

A 2017 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that small, everyday positive experiences contribute significantly to life satisfaction. It's not just the big vacations or milestone moments - it's also the perfect cup of coffee, the song that hits just right, or finally finding the comfortable spot on your weird couch.

Think of regular doses of enjoyment as creating psychological breathing room, like opening a window in a stuffy room. It's not about avoiding your problems (sorry, they'll still be there after your face mask dries). It's about letting a little light in while you deal with them.

Other research from positive psychology suggests that intentionally scheduling pleasant activities, even brief ones, can serve as effective "mood boosters" and help build resistance to stress over time. It's less about the extravagance of the pleasure and more about the regularity and mindful enjoyment.

So no, that episode of trashy TV isn't going to solve your existential crisis, but research suggests it might just help you face Tuesday morning with slightly more emotional resources than you'd have otherwise.

And isn't that worth the occasional ice cream for dinner after a crappy day?

🍟 This Week’s Happytizer: Skip the Soup

This week, treat yourself… and I mean actually treat yourself. Not as a reward. Not as a bribe. Just because you're a person who deserves a little peace.

Ideas:

• Buy the good chocolate. The fancy square, not the sad vending machine one

• Replace one “should” with one “sweet”, or whatever treat will make you feel special

• Keep a backup joy snack somewhere unexpected (drawer, glove box, nightstand, sock)

• Eat it slowly. Smile like someone in a chocolate commercial. Let yourself enjoy it.

✨ Unsolicited Joy of the Week

Scientists in Switzerland have created chocolate that changes color without any dyes, coatings, or filters. Just light, physics, and a deep understanding of snack magic.

It shimmers like a rainbow depending on how the light hits it. Think mood ring, but edible.
And the best part? It tastes just like regular chocolate. Because the world doesn’t need more kale-infused lessons — sometimes it just needs sparkle.

📖 Read about the mood-ring chocolate here

💬 Tell me your favorite “I deserve this” treat

Is it chocolate? A weirdly specific flavor of chips? Something nobody else understands but brings you disproportionate joy? Tell me.

Here’s mine and even the M&M’s agree that this newsletter topic was a good idea.

A side note: I may have taken the “dig in” part a little too seriously and ravaged the bag like a sugar-deprived woodland creature rediscovering joy for the first time. Worth it.

📩 [email protected]

Oh, and don’t forgot about the current T-Shirt giveaway! For every new subscriber that you refer, you get an entry to win this super groovy (that’s me channeling my inner Scooby Doo fan) t-shirt.

I call it Operation: Duck, Duck, Boost and it’s going on now through June 15th.

Here’s your unique referral code to share far and wide: https://www.chilltheduckout.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

Share it… or I’ll send you a case of expired chicken soup with a handwritten note that says, “think about your choices.”

🫶 Duckin’ Done

That’s Volume 009.
May your week be sweet, your comfort guilt-free, and your joy delightfully unnecessary.

Until next time: snack shallow, smile often, and chill the duck out.

— Jason

🧐 Behind the Curtain

Because even when we’re snacking shallow, we cite deep: :

1. Bryant, F. B., & Veroff, J. (2017). "Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience." Routledge.

2. Neff, K. D., & Dahm, K. A. (2015). "Self-Compassion: What It Is, What It Does, and How It Relates to Mindfulness." In M. Robinson, B. Meier & B. Ostafin (Eds.), "Handbook of Mindfulness and Self-Regulation" (pp. 121-137). Springer.

3. Jose, P. E., Lim, B. T., & Bryant, F. B. (2012). "Does savoring increase happiness? A daily diary study." Journal of Positive Psychology, 7(3), 176-187.

Who knew that your emergency chocolate stash is basically a research-backed emotional support tool.