Those phone calls with your mam are beneficial

It took nearly losing my mam for me to realise just how fragile and short this life is. That's why I look at the menial things differently now, including our phone calls.

I may ring her on my lunch break to quickly chat about the day, or she'll call me when I'm on the bus home from work to see "if I'm going out again" or if I'd like to have dinner at home.

We'll talk about everything and anything, weekend plans, doctor's appointments, future holidays, worries, funny stories, and of course, about the weather.

It may seem like a normal part of our lives, but calling our mams is good for our health, a study has found.

A study conducted by a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Child Emotion Lab discovered that our oxytocin levels increase when we speak to our mams on the phone.

Study lead Leslie Seltzer explained:

"It was understood that oxytocin release in the context of social bonding usually required physical contact, but it's clear from these results that a mother's voice can have the same effect as a hug, even if they're not standing there."

The team behind the study made the discovery by purposely raising the stress levels of 61 girls, who were aged seven to 12.

The girls then had to solve a maths problem and give a speech in front of people, which increased their heart rate, as well as their cortisol levels.

"The children who got to interact with their mothers had virtually the same hormonal response, whether they interacted in person or over the phone.

"It was understood that oxytocin release in the context of social bonding usually required physical contact. But it's clear from these results that a mother's voice can have the same effect as a hug, even if they're not standing there."

The study appeared in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

It may seem like nothing, but calling your mum is a privilege to do, and now there's proof that it's good for you.

Not only is it good for your well-being, but it's also so important to make the most of your time with her, even if it's just a five-minute phone call on a Thursday evening.