🦆 CHILL THE DUCK OUT

Volume 017: Laugh your face off.

😂 Cold Open

I have this thing that I do on short car rides to the grocery store, to the pharmacy, to drop my son off at my parent’s… and even when I sneak down to the gas station for my daily millennial cigarette (aka Diet Coke). Anyway, I flip from my normal Siriusly Sinatra to Netflix is a Joke radio because I love to laugh and nothing tickles my funny bone more than the likes of Nate Bargatze, Bill Burr, Iliza Shlesinger, Ali Wong, and the list goes on, and on, and on…

So, the other day, stuck in tourist traffic (ugh) on what I hoped would have been a quick errand run, I did just that. Within minutes, I was doing my darndest to control my laughter and not catch the attention of the family in the next lane who has been inching alongside me for the past couple of miles. My eyes filled with happy tears, my cheeks started to hurt, and I was genuinely wondering if I would have to explain to a paramedic that I was taken out by a punchline.

Nothing about the world had changed. But I had. I felt lighter. Less clenched. Like my nervous system had just gotten a piggyback ride from a stand-up comic.

This week’s issue is about exactly that: how laughter works like a mini nervous system reset and why a few good chuckles might be the best self-care you haven’t scheduled yet.

Let’s laugh our faces off!

🧠 The Science Bit

Laughter activates more than just your abs, although the little tummy workout included is an added bonus.

When you genuinely laugh (not the polite "ha ha" like when my wife laughs at my jokes, but the real deal), your brain throws a little chemical celebration. It releases endorphins, which are your body's homemade feel-good drugs, while simultaneously telling stress hormones like cortisol to take a hike. It’s a full-body chill pill that doesn't require a prescription or a co-pay. Take that, Big Pharma!

What Your Brain Does When You Lose It Laughing

Here's the beautiful science behind why cracking up is basically a biological jackpot.

Your mood gets an instant upgrade. Research shows that laughter influences neurotransmitter activity in ways that boost feelings of well-being and connection. It's like your brain's way of saying, "You know what? Today doesn't completely suck after all."

Stress takes a timeout. Studies demonstrate that laughter can reduce physical tension and lower stress markers for extended periods. Some research suggests up to 45 minutes of post-giggle relaxation. That's longer than most meditation sessions, and significantly more entertaining.

Your immune system joins the party. Multiple studies have found connections between laughter and improved immune function, including enhanced activity of infection-fighting cells. Basically, your T-cells love a good joke as much as you do.

Your nervous system hits the reset button. Laughter activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is the same "rest and digest" mode we target with deep breathing and cold water face-dunking (a call back to last week’s newsletter). It's like giving your internal stress alarm a much-needed coffee break.

Connection becomes contagious. When you laugh with others, research shows it releases bonding chemicals that increase trust and social connection. It's evolutionary teamwork disguised as fun.

🍟 This Week’s Happytizer

This week, schedule some laughter. Seriously. Put it on your calendar. “2:15 PM Belly Laugh.”

Try one of these:

• Watch a clip of your favorite stand-up comedian (Kevin James, Ali Wong, Bo Burnham… whatever works).

• Rewatch the scene that always makes you lose it (I see you, Schitt’s Creek fans).

• Call the person who makes you wheeze-laugh and tell them you need a hit.

• Read ridiculous Amazon reviews out loud. If you’ve not done this, there are some glorious ones out there.

• Start a “laugh list” and bookmark your favorite memes, gifs, or videos so you’ve got a joy stockpile ready when you need it.

Laughter is free, portable, and requires no prep. If that’s not the perfect stress hack, I don’t know what is.

✨ Unsolicited Joy of the Week

There’s something deeply satisfying about watching highly trained professionals completely lose it on live TV, so here’s a little inspiration to get you started on your ugly laugh this week.

Enter: the news anchor giggle spiral. A rare and delightful phenomenon where someone in a suit tries to deliver the day’s headlines but gets derailed by a cow named Lickalot or a squirrel on water skis… and then simply cannot recover.

Their eyes water. Their voices crack. Their souls briefly exit their bodies.

And suddenly, your own bad day gets a little lighter, just by watching someone else try (and fail) to keep it together.

💻 Watch the full playlist here and allow the joy to spread like an uncontrollable case of the giggles.

Because sometimes, the most contagious thing isn’t a cold. It’s someone else’s absolutely unhinged laughter.

💬 Tell Me…

What’s the last thing that made you truly laugh?

Not smirk. Not LOL in a Slack message. I mean laugh. Like, shoulder-shaking, can’t-catch-your-breath, possibly-snorted laughter.

📩 [email protected]

If this made you smile even once, forward it to a friend. If not, I’ll be forced to send you dad jokes daily until your resistance breaks. Your call.

🫶 Duckin’ Done

That’s Volume 017.

Here’s to laughing through the stress, chasing the good kind of tears, and giving your nervous system a little comedic CPR.

Until next time: breathe deep, belly laugh, and chill the duck out.

— Jason

🧐 Behind the Curtain

Laughter triggers a cascade of positive physiological responses, from endorphin release to parasympathetic activation. Studies across multiple journals have found that even brief episodes of genuine laughter can reduce stress markers and improve overall well-being. Your body treats giggles like medicine — and the research backs it up. Plus, it's the only prescription where the side effects include snorting, happy tears, and the occasional embarrassing cackle in public places.