Mom might not be the first person you think of if you want to decrease your anxiety and stress. But while she might nag you from time to time, she also might be the best person to call if you need a little TLC. A study published in Proceedings B by researchers from the University of Wisconsin Madison put a group of girls ages 7-12 through a stressful task and then divided them into three groups: one group had 15 minutes in person with their mothers, another group called their moms and the last group watched a film. Researchers found that levels of oxytocin—the hormone linked to emotional bonding—were increased in both the groups that had physical contact with their moms and those that just talked to Mom on the phone. The researchers also saw that the levels of the stress hormone cortisol decreased in both the groups that talked to Mom.