Exploring Stress and Mindfulness in Central Asia: Perspectives of English Language Students in Uzbekistan

Stress is a growing concern among university students worldwide, yet little is known about how stress is conceptualized and experienced within Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan. This study explores how Uzbek university students understand and experience stress, identifies the primary sources of stress in their daily lives, and examines their perceptions of mindfulness as a potential stress‑reduction strategy. Participants were 60 students, primarily Muslim women, at a large public university in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Open‑ended questions on a post‑intervention survey were analyzed using a combination of deductive and inductive coding. Students most frequently described stress in emotional terms, including irritability, sadness, and anger, followed by cognitive, behavioral, and physical symptoms. Academic pressures, particularly exams and English‑language performance, emerged as the most common stressors, alongside interpersonal stressors related to family expectations and cultural pressures surrounding marriage. Among students who received mindfulness training, many reported feeling calmer, more focused, and better able to regulate their emotions, suggesting that mindfulness was both accessible and beneficial in this cultural context. Classroom observations further supported increased student engagement with mindfulness practices over time.