The metaverse is increasingly viewed as an immersive digital environment with the potential to transform professional interaction, collaboration, and decision-making. While prior studies have largely emphasized technological features and performance outcomes, the psychological and behavioral mechanisms underlying metaverse adoption decisions remain insufficiently understood, particularly in non-Western professional contexts. Addressing this gap, the present study examines how perceived social presence, immersive flow, and perceived usefulness shape metaverse adoption intention among Chinese professionals, while accounting for the inhibiting role of technology anxiety. A quantitative behavioral research design was employed, drawing on survey data collected from 402 Chinese professionals working in technology, education, marketing, and service-related sectors. To enhance psychological realism and behavioral engagement, participants were first exposed to a scenario-based vignette depicting a professional metaverse workspace prior to completing the questionnaire. Measurement items were adapted from established psychological and behavioral scales, and the hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that perceived social presence significantly enhances immersive flow experiences (β = 0.46, p < 0.001). Immersive flow, in turn, positively predicts perceived usefulness (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) and metaverse adoption intention (β = 0.34, p < 0.001). Perceived usefulness also demonstrates a strong direct association with adoption intention (β = 0.41, p < 0.001). In contrast, technology anxiety exerts a significant negative effect on adoption intention (β = −0.29, p < 0.01) and weakens the positive behavioral influence of immersive flow. Overall, the proposed model explains 58% of the variance in metaverse adoption intention. This study contributes to behavioral science and organizational behavior literature by clarifying how affective experiences and cognitive evaluations jointly shape technology-related decision-making. The findings offer practical insights for organizations and system designers seeking to reduce psychological barriers and foster adaptive engagement with immersive digital work environments.