The modern world is drawn to convenience, yet I’m seeing more and more people drawn to interests that are decidedly the ‘hard way’ of doing things.
Men and women in high-pressure roles with interests around restoring old furniture, growing their own food, or obsessing over the perfect pour-over coffee.
“Just a hobby”, or something akin to a subconscious rebellion?
The narrative is that saving time is the ultimate goal – “It’s the only thing you can’t buy more of”.
We have apps to automate our savings, taps that boil water instantly, and algorithms that choose our music. But when we remove friction from our lives, we lose the sensory recalibration that keeps us grounded.
The ‘slow tech’ movement—vinyl records, mechanical watches, and manual brewing—is growing because it forces us to engage with the physical world in a way a touchscreen cannot.
The Neurochemistry of Intentional Friction
Turns out there is real science behind it too.
When you sit down to play a record, you aren’t just listening to music. You are selecting an album, cleaning the dust, and carefully placing the needle. This requires a level of focus that a streaming playlist doesn’t demand.
Neuroscientists often point to ‘effort-driven rewards’—the idea that our brains are wired to feel a deeper sense of satisfaction when we use our hands to produce a result.
In a world where financial decisions can be made with a thumbprint, there is a risk of becoming detached from the reality of our choices.
I often find that the most successful financial strategies aren’t the ones that are completely ‘set and forget’, but the ones where the person remains tactile and involved.
It’s the difference between an automated spreadsheet and a deliberate conversation about what those numbers actually mean for your lifestyle.
Three Ways to Reintroduce Sensory Recalibration
- Choose tactile over digital: Try writing your weekly goals in a physical notebook. The act of pen on paper creates a cognitive link that typing on a glass screen simply lacks.
- Embrace the ritual: Whether it’s grinding coffee beans by hand or winding a mechanical watch, these small ‘inefficiencies’ act as anchors in a day that otherwise moves too fast.
- Audit your friction: Identify one area of your life that has become too automated. Reintroducing a manual step can provide a mental ‘reset’ that lowers stress and increases clarity.
At EJM Advice, I believe that the end goal of financial planning is happiness, not just efficiency.
Sometimes, the most efficient path to peace of mind is taking the long way around—spending time on the things that don’t scale, but do satisfy.
Financial decisions are rarely just about the numbers; they are about security and the freedom to enjoy these slow, tactile moments. If you feel like your financial life has become a series of frictionless, confusing transactions, it might be time for a more deliberate approach.
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