Adding onto this, you can’t really overhaul your entire life unless you have a place to live.
I’m speaking from the other side, I spent some time homeless, and I agree with you. Some people do need more than just a place to live. They need mental health treatment, they need assistance with their drug dependency. They need professional help.
But, it’s also impossible for someone to consistently get professional help unless they have a consistent place to rest their head.
Because again, I am agreeing with you, but the part I disagree in is the order of where mental illness comes in. Because I reckon for a lot of homeless folk, they start off fine, and then the trauma of the situation sends them completely mentally loose. I was lucky to have the internet and my friends to keep me stable enough, and even I have plenty of screws lost now.
It’s a hard issue to solve, and I genuinely think it’ll take decades of actual effort (not half measures) to see some actual gain. And homelessness is literally ingrained into an economy of winners and losers. Because it is a lot more than just stop making people homeless at this point.
I’m a very flitty sort of person, and can be pushed off balance decently easily. My job is pretty fast paced, so I can’t just go for a walk or meditate for 10 minutes. So my rule is to not focus on everything coming up, but just focus on what’s directly in front of me. Which, yeah, I know sounds dumb but it honestly does work.
Instead of thinking “Oh, that line of customers is long” -> “Oh god I’m not going to be able to serve the customers fast enough” -> “oh my god they’re going to leave and I’m going to get in trouble for not being fast enough.”
I don’t even acknowledge the length of the line. Look directly ahead, and focus on what you’re doing right now. Shit will always be coming in from every direction, but quick steps make for shorter journeys.
Outside of work, hobbies, crochet, gardening. Getting in touch with nature is a big one for me.