It's very hard, and remains a vexing problem -- one that also has to be weighed against creeping RSI. Late 30s me needs i3wm more than younger me did.
This also gets to me to my one big hardware grievance against MBPs, which I think is commonplace: the keyboards. They're just terrible on so many levels, and worse yet for those with emergent RSI.
They're also hard not to rapidly devalue if you're used to more clicky keyboards, even if you have moderated your typing intensity considerably. All the Macbooks I've had develop the dreaded "shiny key caps" within 3 months, and I assure you, I've worked very hard to become a gentle typist.
I'm in the same vein as you. I tried to be productive on my m1, but as a 10+ year rusted on i3 user, I cannot for the life of me ween myself off it.