Psychological well-being of an individual in the context of time as a psychological phenomenon

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical analysis of psychological well-being and identifies some major approaches to psychological well-being in the context of time viewed as a psychological phenomenon. Subjective feeling of psychological wellbeing is influenced by many factors: age, social situation, occupation, social role, features of the psyche, personality and character traits, etc. Different factors (emotional state, nervous excitability, quality of relations with the environment, etc.) will have a specific impact on psychological well-being at different stages of life and in different life spheres. The phenomenon of psychological well-being is considered in correlation with various categories which are somehow related to psychological time: age ranges; space; attitude; individual and/or group experience of well-being in different time periods; and the understanding of time as a resource. Scientific psychology considers time as a multidimensional phenomenon. This makes it possible to make an assumption that the said categories have a specific impact on the level of an individual’s psychological well-being. The question is raised about the connection between the subjective experience of well-being and the ability to manage time — with its content, quality and intensity of experiences. The attitude to time and unfolding events is understood as potentially depending on the actual experience of well-being, which changes in accordance with the current situations, the significance and degree of involvement in which is determined by an individual himself. Psychological time can be understood as a resource of psychological well-being. Depending on the content, intensity, quality and subjective interpretation of time, people differ in their perception of their own well-being. Modern research makes it possible to trace the relationship between psychological well-being and attitude to time. For this purpose, it is necessary to distinguish between psychological well-being and other similar concepts (emotional well-being, coping, etc.), and between psychological time and physical and biological time. Projective techniques are the preferred tool for studying the relationship between psychological well-being and attitude to time, as the life path has an individualized and multifaceted nature. Further, projective techniques make it possible to study psychological well-being in a comprehensive way.