Offline Alone. For beginners
April 22, 2020: We have been living in the “corona era” for around a month now. One of the characteristics of this new era is that everything that previously provided a sporting, cultural or social pastime is no longer possible. The premise of “social distancing” is also changing life massively. The internet, which was already an essential part of your day, now plays the leading role: entertainment, social life, news and knowledge are all available via the screen. Creative minds have developed new, exciting formats at lightning speed to enrich the endless offerings. Reading, listening and watching – almost everything runs via the device. The downside: too much screen time is not only harmful to the eyes. Other needs are also neglected. Screen breaks are essential for your physical and mental well-being – but not that easy! If you long for offline time but have no ideas, this “beginner’s guide” provides suggestions for creative, witty, active and relaxing activities.
Creative activities make you happy!
“Creativity is the intelligence that has fun.” Albert Einstein was right: adults who keep their imagination alive and create something of their own feel what Sigmund Freud called “sublimation”, a special form of emotional satisfaction. Most of us will neither revolutionize physics like Einstein nor psychology like Freud. But that’s not necessary: the results of your creative activities don’t have to win prizes to fulfill you. The range of possibilities is enormous:
You could keep a diary about your situation during the Corona period, document it in the form of anecdotes or short stories or, like Peter from our Alphons Silbermann Haus in Cologne, write poetry about it.
Incidentally, the lettering can be part of your artwork if you put it on paper in the classic way. Hand lettering, in which letters and characters are specially designed, is all the rage – the range of books, guides and starter sets is correspondingly large. Hand lettering not only makes you happy, but also the recipients of your self-designed greeting cards!
For similar reasons, what grandma did under the generic term “handicrafts” is enjoying enormous popularity. Sewing, knitting and crocheting are also in vogue with your generation. You can find inspiration, patterns and materials online, everything else happens offline. It feels great to proudly point to yourself when asked who made your new accessory or to surprise a loved one with something you’ve made yourself – and it’s actually easier than you think, I promise!
Painting and music are classic creative pursuits. It is true that these arts take years of practice to shine in front of an audience, like Hannah from Berend Lehmann Haus Essen. Nevertheless, it’s never too late to learn an instrument or to give your voice free rein when singing. The latter is a real trend, as evidenced not least by TikTok and numerous major events. Mass karaoke is not an option at the moment, but singing, even in the shower, is still good for you – and if you have a guitar to hand, you can quickly rehearse a decent accompaniment with a few chords. If you prefer brushes or pencils, there are plenty of aids that can even increase the pleasure. Whether painting by numbers, with stencils, shadows or, like Anne-Sophie from the Lilli Jahn Haus, with a mandala book – you can also find information and equipment online, and do the rest away from the screen.
Most creative activities also mean that you can concentrate fully on them without having to put a lot of effort into focusing. Not only do you lose track of time, but you also free your mind from everything else – which is why creative activities are always relaxing!
Discover the beauty of nature!
“No fairer land at this time of year” goes the well-known folk song that calls us to an evening get-together “under the lime trees”. We have to do without social gatherings for the time being, but we can still enjoy nature, which unfolds its full splendor in these spring weeks, completely unimpressed by the worries of mankind.
A long walk or a hike off the beaten track – as our tutor Sebastian from Frankfurt has just demonstrated – promises to be a real feast for the eyes in the face of blossoming or sprouting trees and brings balance to body and mind.
The will is there, but you don’t have the way? On Komoot you can find the right route in your area, even if you want to go jogging or cycling.
The benefits of the latter activities have been widely reported recently, and anyone who steps outside can get the feeling that everyone is now “going for a run”. And with good reason: the much-vaunted “runner’s high” is usually only achieved after long training sessions involving extreme exertion. However, a sense of achievement and the fulfilling feeling of physical exertion can be achieved after just a few training laps – at least if you avoid beginner’s mistakes. Cycling also keeps you fit and allows you to “experience” much longer distances. However, the equipment is much more expensive if you want to have fun.
Cooking not only fills the stomach
Until recently, many of you probably only cooked for yourself occasionally. Why would you? The food in the canteen was good and cheap, and there was decent street food on every corner. But Corona time also means eating at home. And that means for all single households: Cooking for yourself. The first few weeks could be bridged with the tried-and-tested standards, and perhaps ready-made meals also helped to fill us up.
By now, you’re probably longing for some variety on the menu – and this is the chance for a realization that will change your attitude to cooking forever: Cooking can become an end in itself and quality time. Cleaning and preparing vegetables, mixing herbs and spices, drinking a glass of wine or a beer on the side, stirring, seasoning – you could almost say that the journey is the reward, but of course you shouldn’t compromise on the result. Recipe ideas for your generation can be found on ze.tt, for example; it’s also worth looking beyond the language barrier, as well as buying a cookbook, e.g. from this top ten.
Pure relaxation: unwind with these ideas
This point is actually superfluous. Most of the ideas presented here are also excellent ways to relax. So at best we still have a few additions. A good book, for example. Anyone who reads to relax likes to pick up a fantasy novel or trashy literature. Crime novels are also a good choice. Nevertheless, now is the perfect opportunity to catch up on reading some classics, which are often much more entertaining than their reputation from school days suggests. Sometimes there is a surprising amount of humor in so-called “great literature ” alongside an intelligent view of the world and people.
Puzzling is a meditative way to calm down. Even during the preparation for a 1,000-piece puzzle, when you sort by color or edge pieces, you enter a kind of deep relaxation, which can be completed with a glass of wine and suitable music. The hours fly by with this activity and you’re guaranteed a corona-free mind!
Due to the lack of nightlife, the current often clear nights are perfect for stargazing. The view into the night sky, into the vastness of the universe, is not only an enriching experience for amateur astronomers. Even after many repetitions, the Milky Way loses none of its magic. Now that there are no distracting conversations with the group, you can finally discover constellations and look out for shooting stars.
Classic meditation is also a good way to switch off after a day in front of the screen. However, sometimes you need a pleasant voice or a mantra to banish your thoughts from your head.