Friction-maxxing By Kestrel

Friction-maxxing is defined by adding friction (or inconvenience) to our otherwise smooth,

convenient lives. Jogging on uneven terrain instead of killing it on a treadmill, baking a cake

from scratch, testing your limits... the choices are endless. The point of it is to bring meaning

back into our lives, make us think for ourselves, and ultimately make us better, healthier people.

Sooo, what do I think of it?

Well... It so happens that I have experience.

There was a very long period in my life when I needed it. And back then I didn't even know the term “friction-maxxing”. No, I personally knew it by... “torture”. Deliberate, and painfully effective, torture.

I had really bad social anxiety. In the beginning, I could barely speak to anybody except my

mom and my brothers. I’d sit like a rock in class, mortified by the thought that if I moved, I’d

mess up. And messing up felt like the end. I was convinced that absolutely everyone hated my guts.

But to absolutely nobody’s surprise, the only way that I could get better was by exposing myself to people—letting them talk to me and trying to carry a conversation. It started meagerly, but slowly, I got better at talking to people. Better at participating in social activities. And eventually, that anxiety died.

It helped me recover from what some people consider a disorder. Crazy, right?

So, yes, I believe it works wonders.

Now, do you need to have a critical problem to benefit from friction-maxxing? No!! It may help with anxiety, but it can also do something as simple as bringing reason and emotion back into your life.

Pulling you out of autopilot and giving you a reason to love life.

It may feel uncomfortable at the beginning, but it can help you so much. In my opinion, it's worth it.