Podróż w czasie. Warsztat rozwoju osobistego osób starszych
Authors: Bugajska Beata , Timoszyk-Tomczak Celina 
Published: August 2024

TIME TRAVEL. THE WORKSHOP FOR PERSONAL GROWTH OF THE ELDERLY
The author&rsquo;s workshop entitled Time travel is a proposal of work on personal development in old age. At the core of its creation was our deep belief in the possibilities of development of the elderly, the ability to be creative and to disclose hidden reserves, which belief was not only supported by scientific discoveries, but also our own experience of working with older people.
The workshop for personal growth of the elderly allows people to take a metaphorical journey through time &ndash; starting from the reflection on their own past, followed by the present, and the future. It is designed for people over 60 years old who remain in relatively good mental and cognitive condition. Its aim is to stimulate personal development of older people through the development of a balanced time perspective in the elderly, arousing positive attitude towards one&rsquo;s life time, assisting in successfully resolving the crisis of life: integrity &ndash; despair. The proposed techniques of the work with the past are designed to create a positive attitude towards own past, to recall memories of different emotional coloring, and then to subject them to reflection and re-interpretation. Work on the present time deals with raising awareness of time of one&rsquo;s own life, recognizing the charms of life, own capabilities despite existing restrictions, using the present for one&rsquo;s own development, perceiving its good sides. Working with the future of the elderly aims at broadening the perspective of time and creative design of the future, reflection on the transcendental future.
We propose 100 techniques, some of them in two variants. The workshop consists of five parts, the so-called time-travel stages:
1. Beginning of the journey.
2. T ravel into the past.
3. T ravelling in the present.
4. T ravel into the future.
5. E nd of the journey.
Six integration techniques will aid in starting the Time travel workshop. A total of 32 techniques were planned for the travel into the past. Travelling in the present will be facilitated by 20 techniques of work with the present. Travel into the future includes another 34 techniques, of which 10 deal with the transcendental future. In conclusion, we offer 8 techniques merging the time perspectives. The vast majority of these techniques are author&rsquo;s methods, as well as publically available techniques customized by us to the abilities of the elderly and goals of the workshop. The following proposed techniques maintain their proprietary nature: &bdquo;horizontal&rdquo; scheme, &bdquo;vertical&rdquo; scheme and &bdquo;integrated&rdquo; scheme, as well as the stories of the OLD MAN which aim to introduce the theme of the specific technique, as well as to inspire both the instructor and the elderly themselves.
The proposed techniques can be grouped into three schemes: &bdquo;horizontal&rdquo;, &bdquo;vertical&rdquo; and &bdquo;integrated&rdquo; scheme. The &bdquo;horizontal&rdquo; scheme consists in techniques placed on the timeline: the past &ndash; the present &ndash; the future &ndash; transcendental future, implemented in various stages of the workshop, which allows releasing the dynamism of each term perspective, helping people realize the importance of time that has passed, which lasts in the present and time that is yet to come.
The &bdquo;vertical&rdquo; scheme consists in the so-called key techniques (Hot Air Ballooning, Travel Journal and the Life Mandala) repeated at the end of each stage of journey, which allows for understanding the relationship between the different temporal perspectives, helping realize that the time in a person&rsquo;s life is a unity and interpenetration of the past, the present and the future strengthens the awareness of time in human life.
The &bdquo;integrated&rdquo; scheme consists in techniques designed to combine the perspectives of time and develop a balanced time perspective. Travel into the past, the present and the future expands in full circles and creates a new quality of time of one&rsquo;s own life in old age.
If it is impossible to carry out the entire program of the workshop, the number of techniques may be reduced, while maintaining its structure. One may apply selected techniques of work with the past, the present and the future, pursuing partial goals. One can also focus on work with the past. Then the workshop will be of biographical nature. One can draw the attention of older people to the present, allowing them to experience the joy of different life situations. One can also conduct a workshop focused on the future. We do not recommend, however, conducting separate techniques associated with transcendental future. These require special attention and preparation in advance
Working with older people aimed at stimulating reflection on the time of their lives, the past, the present and the future can help them sort out their own memories, pay attention to &bdquo;here and now&rdquo; and prepare them for the future, thereby contributing to their personal development. The book is addressed to teachers, psychologists, social workers, leaders of socio-cultural life, and all those who work or intend to work with the elderly. The workshop can be modified by the lecturer to varying degrees (selection of techniques, the number of people in a group, schedule), and therefore can be successfully implemented at the Universities of the Third Age, senior clubs, as well as in nursing homes. The book may be of interest to older people themselves, who are not afraid of challenges and recognize the need for their own development, thus are ready to embark on the most exciting journey, i.e. the time travel.