Expert: Status anxiety is quietly harming mental health — Here’s what to do in 3 steps
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and one major but often overlooked contributor to mental strain is status anxiety — the fear that we’re not achieving enough or living up to societal expectations.
Coined in the early 2000s, the concept is seeing a resurgence today as people wrestle with social media comparisons, career pressure, and the endless pursuit of “more.” A powerful excerpt from Alain de Botton’s Status Anxiety, featured in The New York Times, illustrates how this mindset can quietly undermine our well-being.
Addressing the concept, Kathy Oneto, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business alum, certified Co-Active Coach, executive life-work strategist, and founder of the Sustainable Ambition® movement, introduces thousands of people to break free from the cycle of comparison and to redefine success in a way that’s fulfilling and sustainable.
With 25+ years of experience, she offers practical, research-backed insights on why external validation leads to burnout—and how to shift toward a more meaningful, mentally healthy path.
“People question the path they are on, often triggered by changes in oneself, their work, or their life stage. They may feel lost and wonder if they truly want what they are pursuing. They may be disillusioned with ambition or tired of following the shoulds. They’re busy, yet unsatisfied and depleted. The old definitions of success no longer feel right, but they’re unsure how to redefine it. They struggle: How do I get clear and know what I want now?”– Kathy Oneto
Oneto can speak to:
- What status anxiety is—and 3 steps to break free from it
- The psychological effects of status anxiety, and how it fuels chronic stress and burnout
- How to realign your goals with personal fulfillment rather than external pressure
- Hyper Ambition: What it is, why it’s harmful, and how to escape the trap
- The “more, more, more” mindset—and how to shift toward sustainable success
These insights and more are featured in Kathy’s upcoming book, Sustainable Ambition, releasing nationwide on June 10.
About Kathy Oneto
Kathy Oneto is an executive and life-work coach, speaker, and facilitator who helps ambitious individuals and organizations explore how to live and work differently for greater success, satisfaction, and sustainability.
With a portfolio career, she is also a strategy executive who bridges her two worlds applying strategic approaches to life and work decisions and practices. Kathy is the founder of Sustainable Ambition®, host of the Sustainable Ambition podcast, and author of the book, Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work (June 2025).
As a strategist, Kathy has had a twenty-five-year career working across business, branding, innovation, and talent. In her work today, she partners with ambitious organizations and leaders who want to do better for their business, customers, and people—helping them illuminate and make progress on what matters.
She holds an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a B.S. in Commerce from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School. She is certified in the Co- Active Coaching Model and by the International Coaching Federation.
Her writing has appeared in Fast Company, Brandingmag, and MediaPost, and she’s been a guest lecturer at the business schools at Berkeley, the University of San Francisco, Duke University, and the University of Colorado.
Kathy lives in San Francisco with her husband and the fog. As a former triathlete and marathon runner, she’s happiest building up her resilience outdoors running, hiking, and reading with the sun on her face. Her approach to life mirrors her work: finding joy in the journey while pursuing sustainable fulfillment across life and work.
