Clearing out or just do nothing?

As a result of the measures against the spread of the Corona virus, many people are currently staying at home. The editorial team has put together a number of options for keeping busy during this time.

Clearing out
Some people don’t really care about their appearance, the only tie they have only matches a green outfit. This may change with age. The driving force for this can be a good friend who knows about fashion. This kind of friend would also tell you that you should go through your closet again and pass on everything that’s not being used. The current situation is just perfect for filling bags for the clothing collection. You can tell that there is a need for action, for example, if you have accumulated so many pairs of trousers that you could easily change them every day for more than a month without having to wash them once. And there are, of course, T-shirts that have their best times well behind them. And nobody actually needs more than a handful of belts. It is clear that this is a difficult undertaking for some, but, with a little practice and external encouragement, you’ll find that it will get easier. And when you’re through with your clothes, you’ll definitely find other things in your household that you can give away.

Baking
A pack of milk has passed the expiry date. No problem: this cow product is essential for many baking recipes - for example for bread. The recipe for this: 400 g of semi-white flour, 150 g of rye flour, 10 g of salt, 20 g of yeast, 2 decilitres of milk and the same amount of water. Those who prefer darker types of flour can also use these. The bread dough then needs to rest covered for half an hour. Baking time: about an hour. The smell of fresh bread will soon waft through the apartment. Heavenly - and the family will thank you for it.

Learning
When do you last have time to be able to study something new? So if you always wanted to refresh your recorder skills, discover your crochet talent or get to know the possibilities of your smartphone or the depths of "this Internet", you now have the chance - and have no excuses not to do it. Instructions for almost everything are available online, and you can also phone to get advice from experts (see also the relevant point).

Reading
Reading newspapers, books and magazines is a somewhat out-of-date, but completely fulfilling pastime. It’s important not to let yourself be driven crazy in these unusual times, and therefore I wouldn’t choose “The Plague” by Camus for my bedtime reading. Unless you want to know what an even more drastically exceptional situation can mean for a society. The libraries are currently also closed, but online offers are available. In addition, a look at your own shelf is worthwhile.

Just do nothing
This is clearly the highest form of passing time. And so it therefore needs - and the contradiction is essential - some serious training. The following is a good and simple introductory exercise: sit on a chair, put your hands together and watch the sky through the window; first for three minutes, then five, then ten and so on and so on. If you can then remember your thoughts during this, that's fine - but not yet the crowning glory. Because you’ve only passed the test if you no longer remember.