Career anxiety is a pervasive psychological phenomenon affecting students, early-career professionals, and mid-career individuals alike, manifesting as persistent worry, self-doubt, and fear of professional failure. In the context of high-achieving academic environments — such as the Presidential School in Nurafshon (PSN), Uzbekistan, where students face rigorous academic demands and high societal expectations — the incidence of career-related stress is particularly pronounced. This article examines the nature and origins of career anxiety, explores how mindfulness-based practices and cognitive reframing of perspective can serve as effective countermeasures, and draws on evidence from educational psychology, positive psychology, and counseling research. Using PSN's institutional approach to well-being, career counseling, and social-emotional learning (SEL) as a contextual case, the article argues that an integrated framework combining mindfulness training, realistic goal-setting, alumni mentorship, and structured career education can substantially reduce career anxiety. Practical recommendations are provided for school counselors, educators, and institutional leadership.

career anxiety, mindfulness, perspective-taking, social-emotional learning, career counseling, well-being, adolescent psychology, high-achieving students, Uzbekistan

American Psychological Association. (2023). Stress in America 2023: A nation recovering from cumulative stress. APA Publications.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Prentice-Hall.

Brewer, J. A., Worhunsky, P. D., Gray, J. R., Tang, Y. Y., Weber, J., & Kober, H. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(50), 20254–20259. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112029108

Burns, D. D. (1980). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. William Morrow.

Creed, P. A., Fallon, T., & Hood, M. (2009). The relationship between career adaptability, person and situation variables, and career concerns in young adults. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(2), 219–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2008.12.004

Frankl, V. E. (1946). Man's search for meaning. Beacon Press.

Hirschi, A. (2012). Callings and work engagement: Moderated mediation model of work meaningfulness, occupational identity, and occupational self-efficacy. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59(3), 479–485. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028949

Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018555

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Hyperion.

Karcher, M. J. (2005). The effects of school-based developmental mentoring and mentors' attendance on mentees' self-esteem, behavior, and connectedness. Psychology in the Schools, 42(1), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20025

Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79–122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027

McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00041.2006

Presidential School in Nurafshon (PSN). (2024). Single PDF report: School context, community survey, and domain evaluations. Agency for Specialized Educational Institutions, Uzbekistan.

Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., & Oishi, S. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and search for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(1), 80–93. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.1.80

Super, D. E. (1980). A life-span, life-space approach to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 16(3), 282–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-8791(80)90056-1

Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz, S., & Walach, H. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in schools — A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 603. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00603