Text or call? Which is your go-to? Most of us would likely say “text” because it’s faster, but what if I told you the human voice is an incredible medicine of sorts?

In a recent study at The University of Madison, they had subjects take a stressful exam. After the exam, they allowed each subject to contact their mom – half checked in via text, the other half via the phone. Blood samples, drawn before and after, revealed a surprising difference: The students who had heard their mothers’ voices showed far lower levels of stress hormones, & higher levels of calming oxytocin. The students who had only texted their moms showed no change in their blood chemistry. Moreover, talking to their mothers activated the same parts of the brain that hugging them did.

All of this suggests that we should be recognizing how powerful the human voice is of someone we love. Unfortunately, we’re moving away from communicating this way. Studies show people are 4x as likely to email or text someone than to call. So pick up the phone & call someone you love – your voice is the elixir they need.

With Gratitude,
Beth
P.S. Let me know how many of you called your mom or your kids after reading this.