> I refuse to do meaningless work

You'll probably do meaninglessness in whatever job you end up picking.

> What strategies do you suggest for someone struggling to find motivation at this stage?

Be realistic about alternatives - what you like/dislike, how much runway (financial/mental) you have to explore, whereabouts you're based etc.

I don't think the obvious choice at a terrible swimming pool would be to give up on swimming; there may be other beautiful beaches out there.

You're experienced and you seem to already have identified what you don't like. Software is practically everywhere, and it doesn't engineer itself. The aspects you talk about relate to noise that has become intolerable and there are many sectors, especially when the stakes are real, that eschew this "nonsense".

Have you considered working at places that don't "identify" as "tech companies/software companies" but where software is very present? Industry/Manufacturing, construction, automotive, aerospace, energy, logistics/supply chain, etc... In other words, places where software is a leverage to something. This may help "root" what you do in the "real world".

All these need software and they need actual, tangible, results.