[BehindBlueEyes]

This aligns with my experience. There's this GDC talk that really resinated with me about how side projects can help avoid burnout in the games industry: https://youtube.com/watch?v=zfJ9LLZQ9jo

It is counter intuitive that doing more unpaid work helps cope with doing paid work, but the whole premise iirc is that it is work you are in control of and that helps battle the lack of meaning and agency at work.

Of course this assumes you're not already too burnt out to even think about a side project.