In our fast-paced, convenience-driven world, many of us have fallen prey to what I call the “mind virus.” This silent, insidious condition creeps in slowly, robbing us of our vitality, motivation, and connection to life. My dad, a brilliant man with a PhD in electrical engineering, is a prime example. Despite his deep knowledge of logic and reason, he’s chosen a path of least resistance—one marked by poor health choices, disengagement, lethargy, fear of the new, and a troubling reliance on medication. The mind virus can affect all age groups, starting around age thirty. If you don’t train yourself at an early age, trouble awaits you.

The Symptoms of the Mind Virus

Refusing to exercise: The symptoms of the mind virus are subtle yet pervasive. My dad avoids exercise like the plague and spends his days sleeping (Hypersomnia). Though he’s not overly heavy, his growing stomach suggests unhealthiness. More importantly, he is physically weak.

Excessive drinking: My dad was never a heavy drinker. But after retirement, he joined a wine group and started buying expensive wines, drinking all day. Yes, he did have a hobby, writing for an obscure newspaper. Eighteen years of constant drinking have left his liver shot.

Poor diet: Despite my mother cooking fresh meals virtually every day, he eats little. But he’s more than happy to have a huge bowl of cereal loaded with two tablespoons of sugar. I admonished my mother for keeping such foods in the house.

Overreliance on medication: When I suggested cutting out sugar to bring his blood pressure down, he dismissed the idea, preferring instead to rely on medication. This is all too common in today’s society; many people opt for the quick fix of a pill rather than addressing the root causes of their health issues.

Disengagement: Even more concerning is his disengagement from life. On his birthday, he barely interacted with the family. He has lost most of his close friends, and while many have passed away, he makes no effort to form new connections. He spends 2-3 months in Hong Kong and another 2-3 months in Sri Lanka, our country of birth. Then he comes back home to the USA to spend time with Mom. He has done this for 15 years, yet I have not seen him make new friends. He just hangs out with the people he has known all his life. But now that most of those people have passed away, he is lost.

Selfishness: The opportunities to mentor someone, to help others, are all around him, yet he doesn’t take them. Instead, he, like many others, has become a couch potato, content to watch TV for hours on end. Some retirees, like my neighbor, have even turned to excessive drinking, further isolating themselves from meaningful social interactions. My neighbor drank so much he got pancreatitis. But the good thing about him is that he keeps busy by offering his services as a driver.

Technology aversion: My dad can no longer drive. A few years ago, we finally got him to renew his driver’s license, and Mom left an extra car for him to drive. But he never drove anywhere. Yet he complains that it’s difficult to visit the grocery store because things are far away. Well, he could take an Uber, right? But since he is technology-averse, he can’t figure out how to use an app. He is terrified of using Amazon to order anything and gets my mom or me to order books and such for him. And this is a man who was an electrical engineer and spends over 10 hours on the computer. Every few weeks, I have to go fix his computer because he has visited a nefarious site and got infected with a virus or browser hijacking.

Women Get the Mind Virus Far Less

The stark contrast is my mom. She still runs her business at eighty years of age. I told her not to retire because retiring makes you lose contact. It’s better to work fewer hours and put others in charge. Most people who retire lose human contact. It also makes your brain less effective. When you no longer have to solve problems and look at numbers, you lose cognitive function. My mother also goes dancing two or three times a week. It takes effort to get dressed, drive, and it provides great exercise. She also has a fabulous garden with beautiful plants and vegetables. My niece gifted her a wonderful, nutty dog that needs fresh food and regular baths. He also goes to work with her. And she drives like a race car driver.

My grandma lived to the ripe old age of 93 and she was the life of the party. Gardening, painting, inviting priests from the local Buddhist temple for lunch—which she cooked herself—and bothering all the grandkids to come and take her on errands. The woman never drove, but boy did she get around. And this was a woman who was run over by a bus twice, on two separate occasions, destroying her left leg, which was miraculously fully restored by skilled physicians in Sri Lanka, where she lived at the time. Her passing away was quick and painless. We suspect she took some medication with her shot of brandy that night. But she had a full meal, and she was gone 30 minutes later. What a way to go, right?

In contrast, my dad does not cook. He does not help around the house, clean, or put the trash out. He is an electrical engineer but cannot even change a light bulb or fix a broken bulb. He falls frequently and has destroyed numerous floor lamps around the house. Sad, isn’t it? You know, there’s an old saying: “Once a man, twice a child.” Mind you, this is not true of all men. Many are active, engaged in all kinds of projects, from going fishing to fixing the house or refurbishing a car. But these are few and far between.

Is It Depression or Something Else?

At first glance, you might think this is depression. But I believe it’s something more insidious—a state of inertia, a gradual surrender to convenience and apathy. This mind virus affects all of us to varying degrees. We know what needs to be done to live healthier, happier lives, but we lack the willpower to do it. The virus convinces us that it’s easier to pop a pill for every ailment, to reach for a frozen dinner instead of cooking a nutritious meal, and to stay inside rather than venture out to make new friends or explore new activities.

The Power of Pets: A Natural Antidote

Interestingly, there’s a natural antidote to this mind virus that’s often overlooked—pets. Having a dog, for instance, can be a powerful motivator to break free from this cycle. You’re forced to get up early, walk the dog, and in doing so, you end up walking yourself. This daily exercise not only improves physical health but also opens up opportunities to meet new people. Contrast this with those who don’t have pets; they rarely cook, opting instead for frozen dinners that only worsen their health. The simple act of caring for a pet can drastically alter one’s lifestyle, promoting a routine that fights off the lethargy of the mind virus.

The Sugar Trap

Another contributor to the mind virus is sugar addiction. My mother claims my dad has a huge bowl of cereal with a dollop of sugar. While diabetes is one thing he does not have, even at age eighty-two, the highs and lows of blood sugar variations sap energy, making it even harder to muster the will to do anything productive. Exercise is one of the best ways to feel better the next day, but for many, the fear of injury or the sheer inertia created by the mind virus makes it nearly impossible to start. The cycle continues as sugar cravings are fed, further diminishing the energy needed to break free.

Fighting the Mind Virus: Strategies for Success

Overcoming the mind virus requires a multi-faceted approach that tackles both the body and the mind. Here are some strategies to help break free:

• Fasting: Intermittent fasting can help reset your body’s relationship with food, reducing sugar cravings and stabilizing energy levels.
• Baby Steps to Exercise: Start small. Even just five minutes a day with stretching bands can begin to break the cycle of inertia. Gradually increase your activity level as you build strength and confidence. If you don’t have a pool, visit one. Even if you don’t actually swim, merely walking in the pool will help strengthen your legs.
• Cut Out Sugar: Reducing or eliminating sugar from your diet can stabilize your blood sugar levels, giving you more consistent energy throughout the day.
• Avoid Alcohol: Alcohol can exacerbate the mind virus, contributing to depression and lethargy. Cutting back or eliminating it from your life can lead to significant improvements in mood and motivation.
• Volunteer or Engage in Charitable Work: Helping others is a powerful way to shift your focus outward, breaking the cycle of self-absorption that the mind virus creates. The sense of purpose and fulfillment that comes from making a difference in someone else’s life can be transformative.
• Get a Hobby: We live in a world with massive choices. There are so many things to do, but make it a physically active hobby if possible. Go dancing, start learning to cook and drop meals off at the homeless shelter, join a hiking club, buy a bicycle and start cycling, start growing herbs and vegetables, or enroll in a community college and learn something new. Take up photography, start building things with wood, or fix an old car.
• Make Friends: Your goal in retirement should be to make at least five new friends per year. Ideally, these friends should be of various ages, from younger to older. If you hang out with a bunch of old people, they will die off early, and you will get depressed. Invite them over to your place for a party once a month and have a sing-along or card game. If you have no money, make it a potluck party.

Reclaiming Your Life

Breaking free from the mind virus isn’t easy, but it’s possible. It requires intentional effort—a superhuman will to live better. If you have family, ask for their help.

By making small, consistent changes, you can reclaim your life, improve your health, and rediscover the joy of meaningful connections. Whether it’s through exercise, forming new friendships, caring for a pet, or helping others, the antidote to the mind virus is within reach. Let’s choose to fight it together, one step at a time. Don’t be a burden to others. Go with dignity and make a contribution to others before you go.