I'm also trapped in a miserable and low-paying job. I can't quit for multiple reasons. I just had to place a mental barrier between it and me, realizing that it's just something I have to do to survive. I try to find my fulfillment elsewhere.

I understand 100% how awful it is to live in a bad apartment where you feel like you're taking a massive risk just stepping outside your door to go to work or take out your trash and recycling. Apartments where the roaches and mice were the longest-term residents. Apartments with floors that shook so much it felt like living through a minor earthquake (which I have experienced). Sirens and door-slamming and train horns blaring at all hours of the day and night. Is moving out a possibility for you? Moving is expensive and stressful, but living in a terrible place can destroy a person. I moved this year and finally found something quiet and safe, and it has made a huge difference.

Sometimes novelty is invigorating. If an old hobby feels like drudgery now (again, something I can relate to), is there anything else you have been curious about that you would like to try?

Wishing you the best!