Hi Guys, joined as an A0 6months back and i'm afraid i'm not being assertive enough while at work. Initially my seniors advised me to put my foot down and not take more work than I could handle (I obviously didn't know what that meant and behaved like an absolute fool, taking in whatever I could and working long hours because I was afraid I wouldn't be considered motivated enough for the job). Now it all seems to be coming back and i've realised there's no end to this. I need to be more assertive for my sake. The team isn't bad at all, I have just been stupid and established no boundaries and now i'm afraid that i'll come off as weird/mean if I suddenly start being more assertive (people pleaser alert).
Can anyone suggest how I can be more assertive and outspoken about trying to build a routine, unreasonable deadlines, etc?
I know a lot of comments will ask me to drop it, law firm life isn't worth it but that just isn't an option.
Really hoping for comments to actually tell me how I can make this better if not utopian!

Have a chat with a senior in the team whom you trust and who is not mean. S/he can guide you how you should go about this in your team.

Hi I understand your plight. Was at the same point and honestly it's pretty hard thing to do when you want to set a good impression with the team ( while rotating)
What you can do is, start being upfront - sorry but that is the only way - explain how stretched you are - how it has taken a toll on your body.
If the team is human enough, they will understand or else, start looking at different teams who respect setting boundaries

Kind of facing the same problem.

Something that has helped me is to not commit immediately to something that's being assigned. So, if you are working on "x" already, and someone calls to give you "y", say that you need to check how much more time ""x" will take, and then you will call them back to give an estimate on when you can start and get done with "y". Basically, ask for some time to call back before you commit to a timeline. Second, get in the habit of having open and uncomfortable conversations, that is what it simply comes down to. It is easier said than done, I know, but swallow the discomfort of the short term for a better sleep at night. Like someone said above, you should also speak to senior members that you have a good rapo with and ask them how to turn this around.

https://youtu.be/NglDal-ycjU

Do read the comments too.