Mid level M&A associate at a V20 firm here.
By all accounts things are going well — I’m asked for staffing often, taking more responsibilities and getting good reviews.
Problem is that I feel *super exhausted* now. Everything feels like a blur, without any time to reflect and digest what happened. I’ve been feeling chronically anxious, having trouble focusing and miss obvious points sometimes. Haven’t taken a real quiet weekend break since Christmas.
I’m going to take a week for my sanity, but also been seriously considering telling the staffing partner that I need some slow period away from new staffing. Is this a reasonable ask?
I had a partner tell me with a straight face that she used to bill 2800 as an associate and a friend at Wachtell told me that their entire department averages at 3000. How is this even possible? Am I underbilling? Am I supposed to block bill and take into account the time I sit at home waiting for comments in anxiety?