Back-to-School Pressure, Mom Culture, and Body Image: Why Fall Can Feel So Heavy

By Dr. Alexis Conason | Clinical Psychologist & Author of The Diet-Free Revolution

Do you find that fall brings out those “New Year, New You” vibes? Even if we’re not the ones going back to school, the season often feels like a reset with new schedules, new routines, and new expectations.

For many parents—especially moms—back-to-school doesn’t just mean sharpened pencils and packed lunches. It comes with the pressure to do it all and look effortlessly put together while doing it.

We’re expected to manage drop-offs and pick-ups with a smile, ideally in a stylish-but-casual outfit. (Yes, sweats are “allowed,” but only if they’re the right sweats.) We’re supposed to keep the fridge stocked with Pinterest-worthy lunches, stay on top of work deadlines, manage the household (often carrying the invisible mental load), and somehow still make time for workouts, meal prep, and “self-care.”

No wonder so many of us feel completely depleted before October even begins.

Mom Culture and Diet Culture: Two Sides of the Same Coin

The pressure of “perfect mom” culture isn’t diet culture. Both send the same message: you’re not enough as you are. Both sell the fantasy that if you just try harder—if you shrink yourself more, hustle faster, or become someone different—then you’ll finally feel like you’re doing okay.

And let’s be real: mom circles can sometimes feel like high school all over again. The pressure to look a certain way, be thin, wear the “right” clothes, or fit in with the group can be intense. Over the summer, there’s often a bit of a break from this. But once fall arrives, back-to-school nights, playdates, and parent gatherings return and body image and belonging can feel especially charged.

It’s no wonder so many of us feel like we’re under a microscope, measured not just by our parenting, but by our bodies too. These ideals are a moving target. And chasing them—whether in parenting, body image, or any other area of our lives—leaves us feeling depleted and disconnected.

What If We Let Fall Be Different?

Just like the leaves fall from the trees, maybe this season is an invitation to let some things go.

Let go of the idea that your worth depends on what your body looks like.
Let go of the belief that you need to change your body in order to be lovable or respected.
Let go of the comparison trap—whether it’s the mom who bakes homemade muffins every week or the influencer who makes “wellness” look effortless.

Your kids don’t need perfection. They need a present, loving parent. And you don’t need a “better” body. You deserve to feel at home in the one you already have.

A Gentle Practice for This Season

Take a quiet moment this week to ask yourself: What expectation am I carrying that I no longer need?

Write it down. Then rip it up, toss it in the recycling, or imagine it floating away like the falling leaves. Small rituals like this remind us that letting go can be just as powerful as holding it all together.

You’re Not Alone

If you’re feeling the weight of these pressures—whether from mom culture, diet culture, or both—you don’t have to navigate it alone. At Conason Psychological Services, our team of eating disorder specialists helps people heal their relationship with food, body image, and self-worth.

💌 Set up a free consultation call today

This fall, may you give yourself permission to be a perfectly imperfect human.
May you nourish yourself with compassion.
And may you remember that who you are has always been enough.