The Healing Effect of Your Mom’s Voice
Never underestimate the power of a mother's love. A study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Child Emotion Lab says that hearing your mother's voice through the phone is as powerful as a hug.
The Woman Post | Carolina Rodríguez Monclou
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If you feel alone or under too much pressure, making a call to a loved one can significantly help you reduce stress levels.
Researchers subjected over 50 girls between seven to 12 years old to a stress test that involved maths. One group of girls could have physical contact with their mothers, while the other half only could communicate with them by phone. The institution found interesting results: similar levels of stress reduction for the girls that talked with their mom, physically or by a call.
The Journal of Personal and Social Psychology also reported that talking to a caring family member reduces feelings of loneliness and improves mood in both men and women.
Having a good relationship with your mother makes the experience of putting in contact with her more enjoyable. At the end of the day, your mother will always take care of you as she did when you were a kid. However, not all people find their mother's voice comforting.
In an interview with Rising Woman, the highly recognized clinical psychologist Harriet Lerner navigates the difficult mother-daughter relationships. According to Lerner, historians of motherhood remind us that mothers have forever been either glorified or blamed. Many children struggle to try to understand their mom.
Also read: THE SETBACK IN THE PROFESSIONAL CAREERS OF MOTHERS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC
Mothers operate in complicated circumstances. Some sons and daughters are bound to be angry and disappointed at their mother, up in without knowing her history. Several pressures and ideas are put on motherhood. For these cases, the expert recommends going to a therapist and heal the wounds.
There's also the case when a person really needs to listen to their mom's voice, but they can't do it because she passed away. So if you are lucky enough to be able to contact your mom, don't hesitate to do it.
In an article titled "How a mother's voice shapes her baby's developing brain," author Kate Fehlhaber explains that a mother's voice calms a baby under stress, reduces levels of cortisol -better known as the stress hormone-and increases oxytocin levels, -the cuddle hormone-. From the uterus, the ear of the fetus detects the sounds and vibrations coming from his or her mother. Indeed, after being born, a baby can perfectly identify the mother's voice and prefers it among other unknown female voices.
Fehlhaber concludes by saying that "it is now scientifically proven that most of us carry a mother's voice in the neural patterns of our brain: bedtime stories, dinnertime conversation and the chatter we heard before birth identify us, uniquely, as surely as the fingerprint, enabling emotional development and social communication in childhood and, probably, through life."
Feeling comfort from listening to a mother's voice can only happen if she has been a source of calm or relief in the past. Otherwise, it can cause stress and disturbance.
Finally, remember: every time you miss your mom, call her. Your voice can also help her feel loved and happy.
