Soul Joy Happy Hour: The Science of the Snort-Laugh (No Drinks Required)

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🎙️ Episode Title: Soul Joy Happy Hour: The Science of the Snort-Laugh (No Drinks Required)
 Theme: Humor as a burnout intervention — with kazoo fanfare, duck quacks, and zero apologies for joy.

💡 Episode Summary

Why do helpers apologize when they snort-laugh?
 "HAHA—PFFFFT—sorry!”

No more. Today we reclaim nasal turbulence as evidence-based nervous system regulation.
(Yes, your snort is neurobiology… not embarrassment.)

In this premiere Happy Hour Friday micro-episode, Dr. Julie Merriman unpacks real research on laughter, cortisol, and immunity… while also assigning you a Certified Emotional Support Gremlin. Their job? Send unhinged memes when your boss is talking too long.

🔬 Key Takeaways

• Laughter an drop cortisol by 39% — more effective than kale, cheaper than therapy.
• A snort is vagal activation at high volume. Don’t say “sorry”. Say, “That was my nervous system clocking in.”
• You don’t need an “accountability partner.” You need a Laugh Dealer.

🎭 Ritual of the Week

Take one exaggerated fake snort out loud right now.

“PFFFFT—KA-QUACK!”

If anyone heard you?
 Smile… whisper “Self-care.”
 And walk away confidently.

🧪 Your Assignment

📱Text a friend RIGHT NOW:

“Congratulations. You’ve been promoted to Official Laugh Dealer. Send nonsense immediately.”

📩 Stay Connected

Want more science-backed silliness + burnout prevention?
 👉 Subscribe to Soul Joy — full-length Tuesday episodes drop at 5 AM.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Soul Joy Happy Hour.
No drinks required.
This episode is all about thescience of the snort lab.
Okay, enough of that.
That is cracking me up.
All right.

(00:21):
So, welcome, welcome, welcome.
We're gonna try to add a littlesomething for y'all.
And um this is what I've come upwith.
Every Friday we're gonna have ahappy hour, no drinks required,
and we're gonna talk aboutsomething that's supposed to
make you laugh.
Okay, so joy dealers, as I'mgonna call you on Fridays,

(00:42):
welcome to Happy Hour Fridays,the only burnout prevention
segment where nasal turbulenceis considered a clinical
intervention.
I'm Dr.
Julie Merriman, therapist,professor, and a woman who once
snort laugh so loud in aStarbucks, they offered me water
and emotional support.

(01:05):
Okay, let's talk about the sexypart, science.
Now, let's get just a hot minutenerdy.
A study from Loma LindaUniversity found that genuine
laughter drops cortisol levelsby up to 39%.
That's pretty good.
Cortisol, you know, that's thehormone responsible for your I

(01:28):
love my job, but I also want toaffect my own death energy at
times, which might be a littleextreme.
But that cortisol is not a funhormone to have to metabolize.
Another study found dailylaughter boosts immunity, lowers
inflammation, and increases paintolerance.

(01:49):
So, what's the translation?
A snort laugh, I know I do thatsometimes, and my husband looks
at me cross-eyed.
A snort laugh is cheaper thantherapy, although I highly
recommend therapy.
It's more effective than kale,and it does not require prior
authorization from Blue Cross.
Why do helpers apologize forjoy?

(02:11):
Have y'all noticed that?
Is it a reflex reflexive action?
I don't know.
You know, you go, uh-huh, andthere's a little snort there,
and you go, oh no, no,apologies.
That that wasn't embarrassing.
That was neurobiologicalresilience deployed at volume.
So from now on, if and when youaccidentally snort in public,

(02:35):
just smile and say, that was myvegan nerve clocking in for
work.
If I had an audience here, we weclap at that.
You just clogging in for work.
Okay, so here's your homework.
This is gonna be short andsimple.

Today's assignment (02:49):
I don't want you to get self-care care,
buddy.
I don't want you to get anaccountability partner.
You need a certified emotionalsupport gremlin.
And their job is to send you oneunhinged meme or TikTok per
week.
Bonus points if it arrivesduring a staff meeting.

(03:10):
So take your phone out right nowand text them.
Congratulations, you have beenpromoted to my official laugh
dealer.
Send nonsense immediately.
Okay.
So snort with me, right?
This could be so silly, andwe're gonna do it because we

(03:32):
work way too hard and takethings way too serious.
So, big deep breath in, and nowexhale with your juiciest fake
snort.
So I'm gonna lead.
Just I don't even know if Ireally can.
Oh, pretend that was a fakesnort.
If someone heard you just now,simply whisper self-care and

(03:55):
walk away.
So, okay, y'all.
This was our first Happy HourFriday.
Protect your joy, protect yournervous system, and remember,
you haven't if you haven'tstarted today, your brain is
still in danger.
See you Tuesday, joy dealers.

(04:15):
Soul Joy will drop at 5 a.m.
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