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🦆 CHILL THE DUCK OUT

Volume 008: Long Weekend, Soft Landing

💭 Cold Open

Memorial Day weekend is almost here. The official kickoff of summer. And the unofficial kickoff of realizing you might need three days just to unclench your soul.

It’s also a moment of remembrance — a pause to honor the people who gave everything in service to something bigger. However you're spending this weekend, I hope you take a second to look up, breathe deep, and feel grateful. I know I will.

For me, this weekend used to mark the beginning of my busiest season. Back in my lifeguard days - whistle around my neck, sunscreen permanently in my pores - Memorial Day was technically the start of work. But it never felt like stress.

It felt like promise. The water was still cold, the snack bar still understocked, and the schedule still loose enough to breathe. There was this soft, slow magic in knowing that summer was stretching out ahead of me, full of half-made plans and long, lazy light.

And even though I’m no longer guarding pools from cannonballs and chaos, I still feel that same pull this time of year… to exhale. To go slower. To soak it in before the busyness begins again.

So this week? We’re not sprinting. We’re not optimizing. We’re soft-limping into the hammock of healing.

🧠 The Science Bit

Let’s talk about transition rituals. Yes, they’re real, and no, you don’t need candles or a gong (unless you’re into that).

In psychology, the idea is called psychological detachment, which is the art of mentally exiting work mode so you can actually enjoy your time off. It’s like giving your brain a proper “see ya later” handshake instead of ghosting your responsibilities.

Here’s how it works:

When you do small, intentional things to mark the shift from hustle to rest, like setting your out-of-office message early, closing your laptop with flair, or clearing off one cluttered surface, you help your body move from an activated state (hello, stress hormones) into a more grounded one.

This shift is powered by your parasympathetic nervous system, aka the “rest-and-digest” crew that helps your heart rate slow, your muscles unclench, and your brain stop spinning like a hamster on cold brew.

Even tiny behavioral cues, like pouring sparkling water into a glass instead of chugging it from the can like you’re backstage at a pop concert, help signal to your nervous system: “It’s safe to power down now.”

Research from psychologists Sabine Sonnentag and Charlotte Fritz found that people who practiced simple post-work transition rituals, even for just a few minutes, reported better recovery, less burnout, and more satisfaction with their downtime.

Basically? Easing into rest works. And it doesn’t require a wellness retreat or a perfectly color-coded planner.

Just five minutes of intention can help your brain shift from “what’s next?” to “ahhh, this is nice.”

🍟 This Week’s Happytizer: Pre-Weekend Wind-Down

Instead of sliding into the long weekend like a greased-up stress goblin, try creating a tiny exit ritual to ease into rest mode.

Ideas:

• Clear off one surface

• Queue up your “outside chill” playlist

• Put your out-of-office on a little early (you rebel)

• Prep a cold drink to kick off the vibe

Doesn’t have to be dramatic. Just intentional.

✨ Unsolicited Joy of the Week

Memorial Day is a time to honor, to gather… and apparently, to eat 7 billion hot dogs. That’s billion a B.

Also fun facts:

• It was originally called Decoration Day

• There’s a national moment of silence at 3 p.m.

• It’s the unofficial start of “oh no, I forgot sunscreen” season

Whether you're racing lawnmowers or racing to the cooler, here are 10 oddly delightful facts to impress your uncle at the BBQ:

📖 Read the full list here

🍫 Bonus Happytizer: Feed Your Chill

If “What’s for breakfast?” feels like an existential crisis, try Huel — a nutritionally complete meal that you can shake up in seconds. No prep, no stress, just actual food that doesn’t require chopping, stirring, or pretending you understand macros.

For me, it’s great on those “my brain is melting and I can’t meal plan” kind of days, and it’s genuinely helped me stay fed without feeling like a sad microwave burrito.

You’re doing breakfast wrong

Let’s face it—most breakfast options just don’t cut it.

Toast? Too light. Cereal? Mostly sugar. Skipping it altogether? Not ideal.

If you want real fuel to power your day, it’s time to upgrade to Huel Black Edition. This ready-in-seconds shake is packed with 40g of plant-based protein, 27 essential vitamins & minerals, and 0 artificial sweeteners—just science-backed nutrition to support your muscles, digestion, and more.

Oh, and did we mention? It’s delicious.

Right now, first-time customers get 15% off, plus a free t-shirt and shaker with code HUELSPRING, for orders over $75.

Find your fuel

💬 Tell me your weekend vibe

Napping? Hiking? Grilling things? Escaping humans entirely? Tell me your plan, or your non-plan.

📩 [email protected]

And hey, if this brought you even 1% more chill, forward it to a friend… or I’ll start sending passive-aggressive OOO replies that just say “I warned you.”

🫶 Duckin’ Done

That’s Volume 008. May your weekend be soft, your drinks be cold, and your neighbors chill with the fireworks.

Until next time: unplug, unwind, and chill the duck out.

— Jason

🧐 Behind the Curtain

You have a long weekend to prep for, so you can skip this part… unless you have an inner high school English teacher who wants to grade my ability to cite sources correctly.

1. Sonnentag, S., & Fritz, C. (2015). "Recovery from job stress: The stressor-detachment model as an integrative framework." Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(S1), S72-S103.

2. Bennett, A. A., Bakker, A. B., & Field, J. G. (2018). "Recovery from work-related effort: A meta-analysis." Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(3), 262-275.

3. Smit, B. W., & Barber, L. K. (2016). "Psychologically detaching despite high workloads: The role of attentional processes." Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 21(4), 432-442.