Why not fly in ATT mode all the time, with the force trim on?
The helicopter is much more 'stable', and it won't be any different when you turn the upper modes on. As for the control forces, in any helicopter I've flown (which is most of them), they aren't onerous. Learn how to fly with those forces - i.e. in the hover, having trimmed the stick, make adjustments without re-trimming by just holding the forces for the brief time you need to have the stick away from trim.
You can hover just as accurately as with SAS mode and FT off, and with a lot less control activity.
You have to learn how use the system, not just fly a new helicopter like it was a Jet Ranger or other light helicopter.
But the main point is to use the AFCS / autopilot the same way all the time, not just plug in ATT mode when you're IFR.
No fixed wing airline operation would allow their pilots to choose whether they used the yaw damper and autopilot or not. Why are helicopters any different?