Research: Hearing your mom's voice helps reduce stress
There is a link between maternal communication and stress relief.
There are people who cannot go a day without chatting to their moms and we have to say that it is some kind of awesome.
Perhaps the reason behind chatting with their moms isn't only to find out how they are keeping, but also because it helps them feel less stressed and anxious.
It seems research has revealed that hearing your mom's voice has many positive benefits.
When pregnant, women are told to speak to their babies and that their voices can accentuate the bond between mother and child.
But as kids grow up, they become less and less inclined to want to speak to their parents outside of a few times a week, while some go weeks without speaking to their parents.
So, it seems that research now reveals the benefits aren't so much for moms but for the kids.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison conducted research to determine if some forms of communication with moms are better than others.
"They looked at three types of communication (in person, by phone, or by instant message) to determine which was most beneficial. They were also interested in determining whether there was something uniquely valuable about hearing your mother’s voice." (Psychology Today)
After conducting research with 68 girls between the ages 7.5 and 12, they decided to put them in highly stressful situations and then judge their responses based on four forms of communication, including non-communication.
The girls were given the following choices for 15 minutes.
- Wait alone with no contact with mom
- Talk to their moms in person
- Talk to their moms via phone, or
- Interact with their moms via instant message
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The results were quite insightful. "The two groups that were able to speak to their moms (either in person or over the phone) had higher oxytocin levels (a good thing) than did the instant message group and the no contact group." (Psychology Today)
Interestingly, just texting your mom is not enough. The results spoke for themselves and revealed that when subjects spoke to their mothers, hearing their voices had a "uniquely soothing effect".
Moral of the story: When you are having a stressful day, give your mother a call. In fact, don't wait for a stressful day, rather just commit to calling her often so you are stress-free.
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