I changed my bra at 6 p.m. and it changed my mood

Dear Delyara, I had been uncomfortable all day in ways I kept ignoring because there were more visible things to deal with. By late afternoon I was cross with everything — the children, the noise, the dinner plan, my husband’s tone, the weather, even the dog. Then I changed into something softer and realised part of my bad mood had been physical irritation all along. I think that’s what women do too often. We continue through low-grade bodily discomfort and then blame ourselves morally for the emotional consequences. We call ourselves impatient, snappy, hard to please, when sometimes the truth is simpler and more embarrassing. Sometimes the mood is not philosophical. Sometimes your bra hurts.