If you’re planning something special with your mom this Mother’s Day, she’s not the only one who will reap the benefits.
The sound of a mother’s voice can trigger the production of the hormone oxytocin, commonly known as the love hormone, in their child, Dr Susan Albers at the Cleveland Clinic said Friday.
Oxytocin is made in the region of the brain that’s responsible for regulating mood and released into the bloodstream where it lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
And since we hear our mother’s voices even in the womb, we’re used to getting that oxytocin hit regularly, Albers, a psychologist at the clinic, explained.
“The brain is wired early on to make a connection between safety and security and her voice, which can last into adulthood,” she said.
So, how important is hearing our mother’s voice? It’s as good as getting a hug, research from 2010 showed. Hugs are one of the most effective ways to feel good quick.
In the research, young girls aged 7-12 were given math problems to solve in front of strangers, spiking their cortisol levels. Then, they either were comforted by their mothers or handed a phone with their mother on the line.
The effect was “virtually the same,” University of Wisconsin researchers said. And it was long-lasting.
“It stays well beyond that stressful task,” Seth Pollak, a psychology professor at the school, said. “By the time the children go home, they’re still enjoying the benefits of this relief and their cortisol levels are still low.”
Still, not everyone can just pick up the phone. Nearly a third of Americans have lost their mothers, according to 2023 census data, largely those over the age of 50.
If you don’t have the ability to talk to your mother in person or on the phone or don’t have any voicemails saved, Albers says not to discount the power of your own mind. Imagine your mother’s voice in your head, if she is not around.
“Your brain stores the memory of her voice and turns it into an internal dialogue that can be comforting in moments [when] you’re feeling stressed,” she said.