how to review vocab without losing your mind? you don't

People keep saying 'make it fun' or 'try gaming apps.' It’s all the same. Anki, Memrise, writing them down... it all leads to the same wall. I feel like I'm suffocating under an endless pile of cards. I've spent two years on this and I still can't read a basic ad without looking up every second word. There is no magic trick to not get bored. It just sucks.