A broad view of time predicts greater subjective well-being

Time is a critical resource, because how we spend the hours of our days sums up to the years of our lives. Yet are there individual differences in the way people think about their time, and how do such differences relate to subjective well-being? In the current research, we developed and empirically validated a 4-item scale to assess the extent to which people take a broad view of time-typically thinking more in terms of their years and life overall, rather than by hours and days. We provide evidence that those with a broad view of time report greater subjective well-being (i.e., more positive emotion, satisfaction, and meaning in life), and they spend their time in more meaningful ways (i.e., by dedicating more time to important activities, and not merely urgent ones).