Rob Temple faces many different adventures during the course of the book, such as travelling to Barcelona and Berlin, learning yoga, rediscovering chilli sauce, airbnb-ing (kind of a word) and haggling for dodgy looking ornaments with mixed results. Born To Be Mild is a personal journal more than anything. Rob invites us into his life, letting us see through his eyes, experience his own reflections and philosophising while giving us the opportunity to apply his outlook to our own lives. It’s fun! I was so ready for a fun book. It’s also wonderfully comforting, even when out of the comfort zone, if this makes sense. Anxiety is such a common denominator (or maybe it’s just me?) This book is a wonderful blend of inspiring, humorous, relatable and a teeny bit depressing which in my opinion makes it great!

Born to be Mild: Adventures for the Anxious - Goodreads Born to be Mild: Adventures for the Anxious - Goodreads

I tried. I really did. I didn't want my first book of 2021 to be a DNF (did not finish) failure. Yet at 20 something percent I couldn't deal with it anymore.Because Born to be Mild is a book that is honest about anxiety, yet positive, uplifting and ultimately life-affirming and relevant. A handful of years ago, I moved with my wife to a house on a quiet street in a quiet town and lay quietly in a room for a long time. Rob Temple runs the social-media empire Very British Problems from the comfort of his own sofa, but what happens when the four walls of your living room become your world?

Born to be Mild by Rob Temple | Hachette UK

Although the book is laden throughout with Rob’s characteristic humour and, erm, funniness, he’s also candid about his own problems. He’s living with his parents in Godmanchester after the ending of his marriage. He has some health issues, exacerbated at times by a worrying and wholly unfunny misuse of alcohol. Seeking connections with others is therefore not just some idle conceit or project: A funny, life-affirming memoir from the creator of social media empire Very British Problems, about how to start again when everything’s gone wrong. Though you don’t want to feel as if you’re laughing at Rob’s life, I found this book really funny and, to me, it didn’t feel like you were laughing at his expense – rather laughing along with Rob as he relays lots of humorous, albeit awkward, experiences that lots of people can no doubt relate to, whatever their personality type. It just sums up so much of what it means to be ‘British’ in a humorous, entertaining way – but the inclusion of Rob’s personal experiences and very difficult times add a very real and important message about mental health to this book. You might not assume that someone who manages a funny, light-hearted social media account could be suffering from anxiety, but you never know in reality. It manages to drive home the impact of poor mental health without feeling preachy or over the top, and remains a entertaining and fun read.If you are looking for an advice piece that will guide you, hold your hand and explain ways to deal with mental health problems head on then this is not that type of book. It is a mostly hilarious, sometimes distressing, interior monologue of a man setting out to bypass his defeatist nature and symptoms of severe anxiety to live his life on the mild side.