Explainer: What is TikTok’s ‘Burnt Toast Theory’?

Imagine you are in a rush to get to work after hitting the snooze button one too many times, you accidentally lose track of time while toasting some bread. The result is burnt toast, which means you have to begin the toasting process all over again, setting you back by a few more minutes on your morning commute.

This mishap would typically lead to a prolonged episode of frustration and set a tense tone for the rest of your day, but surprisingly, the "Burnt Toast Theory" can work wonders in helping you manage your anxiety.

According to the theory, this five to ten minutes delay can save you from an accident or prevent you from running into people you were trying to avoid.

Created by TikToker Ingrid (@offthe__grid), the theory encourages us to consider the reasons bad things happen.

The TikToker in her viral video explained how this has helped her deal with accepting things that are out of her control.

"Adopting this and really thinking about it when I might be upset about something that is out of my control has really grounded me and allowed me to just have a little bit more peace in my life," she shared with her followers.

Though one might have a lot of questions about this, Ingrid assured her followers that this is not about having answers. "You won't know exactly what the burnt toast has saved you from, but that's not the point. The point is to allow you to accept things in life that are completely out of your control. Give you more peace and ground you," she adds.

Is there any truth to TikTok's burnt toast theory?

We can't prove that there's a good reason behind bad things happening, which is especially hard to accept in cases of terrible crimes and innocent people's deaths.

The theory is more about seeing life in a positive way.

For example, not getting the job you wanted might be because a better opportunity is coming your way. Or a breakup with your partner could be because, even if you don't know it yet, you'll meet your true love soon.

Many of us want to find a way to handle tough times, and believing that there's a good reason for everything happening can help us move forward.

Ingrid's viral video created a lot of buzz among netizens, with many of them saying it was just what they needed in their lives. This is something that's been helping them cope with life.

Her theory is all about looking at life's bigger picture, something most of us fail to look at right away.

At times, we understand the larger perspective right away, sometimes it takes time, and holding onto the belief that there's always a bigger picture can assist you in handling situations when something goes wrong, like when smoke begins to rise from the toaster.