7 alternative activities to keep boredom and panic away during coronavirus crisis

Due to the Hungarian emergency measures, many activities such as concerts or theatre plays are cancelled, and even movie theatres and libraries might be closed. Some people can work from home, and all students need to stay home as well. ‘What can I do with this much free-time,’ one might ask. Well, we created a list of some activities you can do both indoors and outdoors to keep your boredom away.

Outdoor activities:

Although it is best to keep to the safety and comfort of your home, there are a couple of things you can still probably do outside, but always bring sanitisers with you and try to keep away from crowds.

Go cycling

If you must really get somewhere, to your workplace or to stores, for example, keeping human contact to the minimum by not using public transportation is a very good idea. As the weather keeps getting better, it will be easier to get around with a bike. If you have a bicycle yourself, it is already a good activity to get it into shape. Clean it, check the tires, oil the necessary parts, and check the lights. If you do not own one, it is easy to use one of the Mol Bubi stations to rent one in Budapest. As we mentioned, you can use it instead of public transportation, but you can also just use it as an exercise or recreational activity by visiting local parks.

Go on a hike

If you really need to get some fresh air, you can go hiking, but make sure to check whether the area you want to see is safe, and it would be a good idea to keep away from usual tourist hotspots. Try to ask around for local and unfrequented hiking locations. It is definitely easier to do this in smaller cities as there is usually not that many people around there, and also a simple walk or bike trip on the nearby forest path can be refreshing and even good for your health. It is important to ask whether it is safe to go out beforehand, keep human contact to the minimum, and always have sanitisers and other cleaning supplies with you. If you decide to go outside, here are some of Hungary’s most beautiful waterfalls.

Indoor activities:

Read a book

There are many things to this activity, more than you might first think. Firstly, many people probably have a book at home they wanted to finish or start reading for years but have not had the time. Well, now is the time. If you do not have a large collection of books at home that you can plunder, there are many online services where you can instantly download books for a small fee. Think about it, you could even start learning Hungarian. Secondly, by reading books – depending on the genre –, you can learn new things or get to ‘experience’ new worlds and new places you might never get the chance to do otherwise. It helps develop the visualisation skills of children, and you can maybe even help pupils with their compulsory readings.

Watch a movie

This might be quite self-explanatory, and you might already do that every night, but there are dozens of movies worth watching, and with the introduction of the new streaming services here in Hungary, more and more Hungarian movies are offered. Netflix has, for example, the Oscar-winning Son of Saul, the tragic historical movie of Ferenc Török, 1945, and Ildikó Enyedi’s Golden Bear-winning On Body and Soul. There is also a huge selection of Hungarian movies end series up on HBO Go: Aranyélet, a series about a criminal family, Terápia, The Whiskey Bandit, the animated movie Ruben Brandt Collector, and last but not least, Chuchotage. These are only some of the best Hungarian movies of the 2010s, you can read our full article here.

Cook something delicious

You can kill two birds with one stone with this one. It is not only a good recreational activity to do, but you and your whole family can also benefit from it. You can try out new recipes or practice old ones, live out your creativity and make healthy dishes that can help you get through this hard period. If you would like to try out some Hungarian dishes, we compiled the most inexpensive yet delicious Hungarian recipes for you.

Paint, draw, or create something

No wonder children like to do these from a young age. It is a fun activity, and the feeling of creating something can be very satisfying. You can buy starter kits with paints and brushes or with pencils online or in local hobby stores and start right away, but if you have children, you might have some of the necessary things at home already. Modelling is also great because it encompasses everything in one. You first create something while you put the miniature figure together, and you can live out your fantasy or tell a story while painting it. Do not know what to order, or you find it expensive? Just turn on your phone or tablet and you can download several types of apps that you can draw or paint with. There are colouring books for those who want an easier but just as satisfying experience. We have an article about the 5 most remarkable and iconic Hungarian paintings. We hope it might serve as an inspiration for you to start making something great.

Play board games or puzzles

Gather the family around and dust off those old board games on the shelf. Be it the humble chess, a simple game of Uno, the famous Monopoly, or any other new-wave board game, you are not going to regret it. If you are alone, you can connect to people on the internet and meet them locally, although if you do this, try to make sure they are healthy and possibly leave out the handshake. Again, if you do not have any of these at home, you can always search for chess or puzzle apps on your phone, or there are even computer programs where tabletop games are simulated and could be played online with others. Or, you can try and beat the record of completing the Rubik’s Cube. Here is our article with some other games you might want to try to get rid of workplace boredom.

Whatever activity you choose, do not forget to keep your hands and surroundings as clean as possible and try to keep human contact to a minimum, at least for now.