OPTIMIZATION OF THE HOME ENVIRONMENT AS A MEANS OF SUPPORTING STUDENTS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN THE CONTEXT OF ONLINE LEARNING

Abstract

Introduction. The transformation of Ukraine’s higher education system resulting from the prolonged implementation of online learning due to martial law and ongoing security challenges has significantly changed the conditions of students’ educational activities. The home environment has evolved beyond its traditional domestic function, becoming a space that simultaneously accommodates educational, professional, and recreational activities. This convergence has contributed to spatial overload, increased psycho-emotional tension, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion among students. Consequently, there is a growing need to identify effective approaches to supporting students’ psychological well-being, one of which is the purposeful optimization of the home environment. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical substantiation of the possibilities and approaches to optimizing the functionality of the home environment as an effective means of enhancing the psychological well-being of students engaged in distance learning. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the study lies in substantiating the functional organization of the home environment as a psychological resource for maintaining students’ well-being in the context of online learning. The concept of residential space functionality has been further clarified, and its key components have been identified, including ergonomic zoning, psychological privacy, optimization of sensory load, and the reduction of spatial stressors. It has been demonstrated that the integrated implementation of these components enhances the psychological resilience and adaptive capacities of higher education students. Conclusions. The findings indicate that a functionally organized home environment is an important factor in supporting students’ psychological well-being during distance learning. The rational organization of the learning space, the provision of psychological privacy, the optimization of learning conditions, and the reduction of spatial stressors contribute to lower anxiety levels, the prevention of emotional exhaustion, the maintenance of learning motivation, and the development of resilience.