You know that frustration you get when you encounter an inconvenience, for example, you happen to lock yourself out of your car while rushing to work and have to spend hours trying to break in. This can be super annoying because you will get to work late and even if you were to explain yourself, you wouldn’t make sense.
Someone would look at this situation and say you were probably being delayed for a good reason, and that is what’s called the ‘burnt toast theory.’ It’s a quirky but insightful way to look at life’s small inconveniences and how they might be protecting us from bigger problems. Rather than letting minor frustrations ruin our day, the burnt toast theory encourages us to see them as little blessings in disguise.
According to the Happiful publication, the burnt toast theory suggests that every small inconvenience we experience has a bigger purpose, it suggests that by focusing on the positive aspects of life, we can reduce our anxiety and focus on the potential of these moments.
This theory is said to be popular due to the fear of hyper-vigilance, which can be caused by anxiety, past trauma, stress, and perfectionism. “At its core, the burnt toast theory tries to teach that, by choosing to view the world more positively, we can help reduce our anxiety around life’s little mishaps and failures. Through doing this, we can view the positive potential these moments create, even though they are outside of our control.”
Very Well Mind claims this theory can help us through hard times by teaching self-compassion, recognising that we are smarter than the toaster and that most people in our shoes would feel the same way. Self-compassion makes life more manageable and encourages mindfulness, the publication adds.
“Jokes aside, when we are catastrophising, we are blowing a situation out of proportion. Sure, there’s some extraordinarily bad luck where missing the train means missing the meeting, which means losing your job, but that kind of bad luck is rare. Taking a moment to consider how the burnt toast theory can help you be more mindful and see the reality of your situation for what it is rather than what you’re afraid of it being.”
Also see: Watch birds for mental health: These are the benefits
