How Your Phone Can Help You Beat Stress

Researchers just discovered thatyour cell (and even your landline—is that what those dinosaurs are called?) has the power to calm you down when you're feeling anxious and overwhelmed. And it can also get your body to release the same feel-good hormone you produce after an orgasm. So what do you have to do? Just make a phone call instead of texting.

By Zoe Ruderman

A biological anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison led a study that found hearing someone's voice over the phone has the ability to lower the listener's stress levels and boost oxytocin (also called the love hormone). Getting a text, even a very sweet text, however, doesn't have the same effect.

Related: Is Stress Making You Bitchy?

Talking on the phone also beats out G-chatting, reading a Facebook message, and getting an email in terms of combatting stress.

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The study was done using mother and (stressed-out) young daughter subjects, but it's very possible that the findings would hold true between a girlfriend and boyfriend, or an adult woman and anyone else. We're still waiting on further testing, but in the meantime, do a little experiment: next time you're feeling anxious/nervous/overwhelmed, try calling your guy/a close friend/your mom and see if that calms you down. Then wait for another day when you're particularly stressed and text the same person instead of calling. Does getting a text response from them have the same affect?

Related: What Kind of Adult Are You?

Of course, we're not suggesting you try to transition back to phone calls completely. There are times when texting clearly beats out dialing (eg, discussing the raunchy details of last night's hookup while at the dentist/DMV/your cousin's kid's school play). But we're willing to send a few less texts and make a few more phone calls if it means lowering our stress levels.