Woman explains how using the 'burnt toast theory' to manage anxiety helps ground her

Experiencing life with a cloud of anxiety and triggers can get draining and exhausting. But life offers little glimmers that help us hold on to moments that ground us, reassure us of safety and make us feel less anxious. One TikTok user is now advising fellow netizens to cope with stress and worry with a familiar yet refreshing outlook on life. She calls this anxiety-alleviating perspective "The Burnt Toast Theory."

Garnering over 600k views on TikTok, Ingrid, who goes by @offthe__grid on the platform, captioned her video clip: "Monday morning thoughts... shoutout to the internet for sharing this wisdom so passing it along." While comfortably lying down, she discusses how the "burnt toast" idea has helped her accept things in life that are "out of her control."

She explains the example of burning a toast while leaving for work as a minor daily setback. However, she explains the time we spend making a new piece of toast may prevent something worse from occurring to us. "Burnt toast theory is the idea that if you burn your toast, let’s say before work, and it adds five to ten minutes to your trip, it’s actually saving you from something catastrophic," Ingrid explains. "Maybe it saved you from a car accident. Maybe it saved you from running into someone you don’t want to run into."

She continues, "But this is the idea that inconveniences in our lives or when something releases us in the universe, it’s either saving us from something more detrimental or pushing us in the direction we need to go." Ingrid says that she frequently suffers from anxiety and accepts situations over which she has no control. She claims that the burnt toast theory has tremendously aided her and enhanced her attitude on life.

She shares that although there is no way of knowing what the "burnt toast" is rescuing you from, the perspective encourages people to accept situations in life that are beyond their control, reducing anxiety over such things and a sense of disempowerment over life circumstances. "Adopting this [theory] and really thinking about it whenever I might be upset about something that is out of my control has really grounded me," she adds.

Viewers who also suffer from anxiety feel the same about the theory. "I think about this every time my normal schedule doesn't go as planned. And my anxiety is with me 24/7," commented @issaweave. "I love this, thank you so much for sharing the enlightenment!" wrote another TikTok user. This perspective was adopted by many. TikTok user @larainparis shared how it impacted her positively. "Ever since I learned about the burnt toast theory I seriously don’t waste more than 5 seconds getting upset about small bad things that happen to me throughout my day," she wrote. 

An optimistic view of life might also help to lessen anxiety. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic discovered that those with a positive attitude in life have lower levels of discomfort and suffering, higher psychological and physical well-being, and better coping skills through adversity. While the burnt toast theory might help relieve tension and anxiety, people who suffer from anxiety disorders may find it difficult to maintain a good attitude most of the time. Seeking professional help is an option one could seek and find relief in.