1. Calm Kids

Parents who practice mindfulness themselves may already be familiar with the Calm app, but did you know there’s a section for kids?

You can engage in family exercises and bedtime stories to help reduce stress and keep kids calm, while also spending quality time together. Calm has a great reputation for helping overall wellbeing in adults and kids, and the family options are included in the Calm monthly subscription fee.

2. Chill Panda

This NHS-approved mental health app is a parenting secret weapon hiding behind an adorable name.

Chill Panda helps kids by suggesting activities to suit their state of mind, tailoring to their needs and helping them identify their emotions. This app should help your kids relax and feel less anxious about school and friends.

3. Headspace for Kids

Much like Calm, adult subscribers can take advantage of wellbeing activities for their children via the Headspace app. Breathing exercises will help your kids relax and become more aware of their feelings and surroundings.

You can also introduce them to meditation via Headspace, which will equip them with skills to access a ‘zen’ state when things get stressful outside of the home.

4. DreamyKid

DreamyKid appreciates that kids lead busy lives too! The app offers 10-minute meditations for your kids to listen to upon sleeping or waking, to get their brains ready for the day ahead of them. They want to centre your children and equip them with mental health tools to ‘survive’ everyday emotional situations, from childhood through to adulthood.

5. Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame

“Sunny day, everything’s A-OK” sings the Sesame Street theme tune, but how do you prepare your kids for when things aren’t A-OK?

Two is not too young to learn how to regulate and identify emotions, and this is the starting age for Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame. Your kids help a Sesame Street monster achieve a sense of calm in this fun, family-focused app. The game helps train their brains to overcome challenges in their own lives.

6. Mind Moose

Your kids are helped to identify their own strengths and harness them to live a happy life with the interactive app, Mind Moose.

Kids can gain a better understanding of the way brains function and how they can make their own brains work more efficiently. They’ll be equipped with skills that set them up for navigating friendships and classroom situations that might cause stress or upset.

7. Positive Penguins

In this game, four penguin pals guide kids to identify their feelings and measure their positive and negative emotions in this fun app with adorable animations. Evi, Ollie, Happ and Buddy are all positive penguins with good messages to pass on to your little loved ones. Giving these cartoon friends emotions to explore will help your kids communicate the way they feel.

8. Smiling Mind

Aimed at age 7 and up, this app helps kids deal with their day-to-day worries and emotional management through mindfulness techniques. There’s a special pandemic-relevant feature called Thrive Inside which trains kids to stay calm when stuck inside the house.

9. Worrinots

The digital answer to worry dolls, Worrinots allows kids to record or write messages to four characters detailing their feelings. This should help alleviate the stresses or concerns the kids are dealing with, and the app helps kids identify and cope with their emotions.

10. Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings

A great app to learn about feelings and how to identify them! In Daniel’s Trolley Game, children play more than a dozen mini-games about feelings featuring Daniel and friends. Daniel teaches kids to practice calming down through breathing exercises, and to count when they feel frustrated or angry.

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Here are the top 10 supplements you could take to bolster your health for the year ahead.

1. Huel

Although it can be used as meal replacement to help manage your weight, Huel powder can also be consumed alongside regular meals to give you an extra, balanced load of 26 essential vitamins and minerals. Shake it up with milk and have it as an on-the-go drink commuting to work or on the way to the gym, and it won’t even feel like you’re taking supplements – just having a delicious milkshake. It comes in a variety of flavours and you know how many calories are in each scoop.

Find out more at huel.com

2. Roman Daily

Sorry ladies, this one’s for gentlemen only. Roman Daily manufacture multivitamins for men, creating a balance of 23 vitamins and nutrients that men might be missing from their diets. It also contains ingredients that may help prostate health, so it’s an all-rounder in terms of supporting a healthy male immune system.

Find out more at getroman.com

3. Athletic Greens

This one may sound like it’s for Olympians or track runners, but it’s for anyone who wants to improve and balance their overall health. One daily serving of Athletic Greens contains 75 vitamins, minerals, whole-food sourced superfoods, probiotics, and adaptogens and is only 50 calories. Just add 250ml of water to the powder and you’re set up for the day.

Find out more at athleticgreens.com

4. NOURISHED

These gummy vitamins aren’t just full of fantastic healthy ingredients, 100% plant-based and sugar-free, they are also tailored to your needs. Take the quiz on the Nourished site to personalise your gummies and start your new health journey, finding out exactly what it is your body needs.

Find out more at get-nourished.com

5. Goli Superfruits 

Combining healthy living and delicious superfruits, Goli have made a great daily multivitamin full of essential nutrients that will give your body the boost it needs. These tablets have collagen in them to support your skin, plus a big dose of vitamin B9 and B12.

Find out more at gnc.com

6. Ritual Essential for Women

Build this multivitamin into your daily ritual to improve your overall health. This supplement is tailored to women’s health and contains vitamins such as vitamin B12, vitamin K2 and iron to support women’s bodies and brains. These aren’t suitable for teenagers or women over 50.

Find out more at ritual.com

7. Mindbodygreen D3+

Everyone benefits from vitamin D, but not all of us have the good fortune to live in sunny countries where we can absorb it into our skin every day. Mindbodygreen has a fantastic vitamin D supplement to cure one of the more common vitamin deficiencies, with a high level of vitamin D in its capsules. They also give you omega 3 and omega 9 fatty acids to help support your overall immune health.

Find out more at mindbodygreen.com

8. Hux

Plant-powered protein, superfoods, antioxidants and enzymes – Hux is an all-in-one supplement that supports normal cognitive function, gut health, energy and immunity. With no added sugars or sweeteners, there’s just 100% good stuff for your body and brain.

Find out more at huxhealth.com

9. Skin Accumax

Do you want to boost the appearance of your skin, beyond the usual routine of scrubs and creams? Skin Accumax is a supplement that can help your skin health from the inside out. It contains cell-protecting antioxidants and has been designed to improve the look of blemishes naturally.

Find out more at advancednutritionprogramme.com

10. NUE Nootro Focus

These capsules aim to support gut health, help manage your stress levels and ease muscle tension. Using natural nootropics they can help support normal cognitive function keeping you concentrated throughout the working day.

Find out more at thenueco.com

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It’s not as easy as popping on your newly gifted fitness gear and doing a lap around the block, and some of us need a little encouragement – whether that’s from family, friends, or tech support. Here are some apps that will help see you through your fitness and weight loss journey.

1. My Fitness Pal

This is a great calorie counting and fitness tracking app that breaks down the nutritional value of your food so you know the ratios of carbs and proteins you are consuming per day.

You can scan barcodes in supermarkets to retrieve your shopping list’s nutritional information, too, so it’s easy to log all of your meals even when you are on the go. This easy-to-use app will help you monitor what you’re putting in your body and help you not to exceed your calorie limit per day.

Find out more at myfitnesspal.com

2. Noom

Noom uses behavioural science to help reprogramme your attitudes towards food and exercise, encouraging you to achieve your health and weight loss goals. Although the app started as a weight-loss tool, it has expanded to help people with chronic conditions and mental health problems, too.

Find out more at noom.com

3. Strava

Favoured by the competitive and recreational runners and cyclists among us, Strava tracks your stats as you exercise outdoors. It can keep score of your PBs, distances and favourite routes through its GPS software and allows you to boast to your friends via its social-media style image and info sharing. Your friends can applaud you for your route, too.

Find out more at strava.com

4. MyNetDiary

This is a great app for people with the discipline to stick to keto, paleo or other strict diets that involve lots of nutrient balancing and calorie counting. The premium version gives you access to recipes and other content, allowing you to record your fitness and weight loss journey and increase your cooking repertoire at the same time.

Find out more at mynetdiary.com

5. Lose It!

Have you been promising yourself you’ll lose those extra pounds for a while now? Lose It! might be the push in the right direction you need to succeed. Set your goals, track your food, your calorie intake and your macros and you’ll be on the way to the svelte silhouette you’ve been dreaming of.

Find out more at loseit.com

6. Interval Timer

Are you into HIIT training, but hate having to set timers on your phone to track your intervals? This handy app is designed for those exercising in short bursts.

High-intensity interval training is proven to improve heart health and help you lose weight quickly, so this handy app will monitor how many seconds are on the clock and alert you when you have to rest or switch up exercises.

Find out more at intervaltimer.com

7. Fooducate

If you’d like to learn more about what you’re putting in your body, Fooducate is an app that grades the nutritional value of your meals and snacks and explains each rating it dishes out. It gives a breakdown of daily calories and nutrients so that you can work out the best way to balance your diet.

Find out more at fooducate.com

8. Second Nature

The NHS-approved Second Nature app aims for long-term, sustainable healthy lifestyle changes to ensure crash dieting is a thing of the past. Second Nature gives you access to a peer support group and a qualified nutritionist to keep you on track, helping you analyse your eating and exercising behaviours and make improvements.

It contains lots of recipes and meal planners so that you can organise ahead, and gives you an insight into the psychology and science behind your eating habits.

Find out more at secondnature.io

9. Lifesum

Are you the competitive type that likes to work to targets? Build up your Life score on the Lifesum app – the harder you work, the higher your score. Log healthy meals, hydration and fitness to gather points and show how much your health has improved. It also has an incredible database of recipes to suit all diet types.

Find out more at lifesum.com

10. Carb Manager

A good one for followers of keto, this app tracks ketones and glycemic load, as well as your calorie and carb intake. This app connects to your Fitbit or Apple Watch and allows you to make custom grocery lists to suit your diet’s needs.

Find out more at carbmanager.com

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1. Less is more

Perfectly suited to a decluttering makeover, the minimal trend will see you clear out your spaces and live with less.

We are all more conscious of waste and the human race’s ever-deteriorating relationship with the planet, so refusing to accumulate more belongings and cleansing our living spaces will give us an overall sense of wellbeing, as well as keeping our lives clutter-free. Check out the book Love People, Use Things for tips.

2. Jungle is massive

We’re bringing the outdoors indoors in 2022, and ferns are the houseplants of the year. Most houseplants die a death through over-watering, but ferns are thirsty beasts that need a lot of care and attention.

You’ll need a humid environment to raise these plants, or to mist them regularly. A challenging new year project for budding botanists, check out Bloombox Club for inspiration.

3. Aromatherapy cleaning

Improve your mental wellbeing by adding essential oils into your cleaning routine. We’ve been overwhelmed with anti-bacs and bleaches in recent years – and while still important, it’s time to add a little fragrance and relaxation to your home environment. Lemon oil is a great one to start with, as not only is it citrus fresh, it’s a natural degreaser.

4. Transforming our green spaces

We’ve been much more attracted to our outdoor spaces in recent years, for those of us lucky enough to have them. Many of us have specifically veered our lives towards gardens and greenery after lockdown, and this is the year to makeover your garden as a safe haven. Gorgeous garden sheds, big barbecues, and wildflowers will all make your summer parties all the more special.

5. Light, light, and more light

Wanting bright, airy rooms is not a new concept, but after two years of pandemic, it’s time to throw open those curtains. Installing skylights to watch the stars and replacing full windows and doors for oversized glass will be a huge trend this year.

6. Sustainable design

We’ve got our climate-conscious caps on again when it comes to the design in our home, and this year will see folks leaning towards sustainability in their household design. Cork and bamboo flooring will start cropping up in homes, as well as recycled glass.

7. Tech-tastic

We are rapidly moving towards embracing the ‘Internet of Things’ and thus all of our appliances will become more and more connected. Smart homes are the future, so get ready to link up your devices. Video doorbells, smart lighting and Alexa and Google assistants will all be popular, and will all communicate with each other behind our backs.

8. Prints of loved ones

We’ve realised what really matters in recent times, and now is the year of the wall collage. Remind yourself of your favourite life highlights and gather your loved ones around you by having a display of their faces on your wall. Check out Mixtiles for an exciting new way to mix up your wall decor.

9. A lick of paint

According to paint connoisseurs Farrow and Ball, colour paint trends are rooted in simplicity. They chose the likes of Breakfast Room Green and Stone Blue among their defining colours for 2022.

10. Wooden worktops

Keeping the outdoors-but-indoors theme, natural wooden worktops are going to start appearing more and more in kitchens. Lovingly cared-for worktops make a stand-out feature in farmhouse-style kitchens, and wood celebrates the natural world from the comfort of your home.

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1. Jack Rabbit Headphone Splitter

This handy device allows you to watch in-flight entertainment or listen to music together on long-haul journeys, so you can discuss the movies when you land or enjoy your favourite songs together.

If you have kids, it also ensures you can plug them into the same iPad for games and TV shows and buy yourself a little quiet time, without them fighting over who gets the screen.

Find out more at trouva.com

2. Belkin 10W Qi Wireless Charging Pad

So long, bulky, brick-like battery charging pack, and hello Belkin Wireless charging pad. This sleek design is much more attractive than the larger, block power adapters on the market.

It’s simple to use and allows you to charge your phone wirelessly wherever you go, without having to remove your phone’s case. Perfect for when you’re in the air or on the go.

Find out more at belkin.com

3. Trtl Neck Pillow

As seen on Dragon’s Den many moons ago, the Trtl travel pillow remains an excellent companion for those friends likely to nod off on long journeys. Avoid muscle strains, aches and pains with this structured support that’s designed for snoozing on planes, trains and automobiles.

Find out more at trtltravel.com

4. Airbnb gift card

Airbnb is the home-away-from-home option that suits travellers who enjoy their own space, and who don’t mind forgoing a hotel breakfast buffet. Why not gift your loved one an Airbnb travel card this Christmas, allowing them to book a trip to wherever they want in the world and stay somewhere nice and cosy while doing it. From the Cotswalds to Copenhagen to Kathmandu, there are plenty of homes for them to choose from.

Find out more at airbnb.co.uk

5. Be Right Back Travel Subscription

Does your loved one love mini-breaks, but not the hassle of organising them? Do they love surprises? Get them a BRB travel subscription and they’ll have regular getaways for three days and two nights with flights and accommodation provided. The recipient chooses the dates that suit them best, and there will be a new destination to tick off their bucket list with every break.

Find out more at berightback.travel

6. Clifton Luggage Set by Antler

Check out the spearmint beauty of this luggage collection – perfect for the loved one who refuses to travel light. The Clifton case is practical and attractive in its design and is very easily wheeled around the airport in a hurry. The sizes suit all types of journey and lengths of holiday, whether you’re just skipping to a different city for the weekend or going on a two-week break.

Find out more at antler.co.uk

7. Frank Green Original Reusable Cup

Single-use is out, reusable is in. Soon there will be disgusted stares at those who dare to drink coffee from throwaway cups, so it’s time to invest in a reusable carrier for your brew. Frank Green’s reusable cup is not only better for the environment, but it’s also incredibly chic and can be customised in a variety of colours. Your recipient will love this thoughtful gift, and they can use it all year round.

Find out more at frankgreen.com

8. Moleskine Passion Travel Journal

If you know someone who loves to document their trip, but sometimes needs a little inspiration, look no further than the Moleskine Passion Travel Journal. It contains checklists, trip planners, labels, travel information and much more so they can record every part of their memorable adventures.

Find out more at johnlewis.com

9. Flight Gift

Why not give the gift of flight this Christmas? Flight Gift allows you to buy flight vouchers redeemable on up to nearly 1,000 global destinations at all major airlines. You can personalise your voucher with a photo and message, and the recipient gets to travel the world knowing you sent them on their adventures.

Find out more at flightgift.com

10. Smythson Passport Cover

There’s been a lot of debate about the colour of passports in recent times, so why not blow it all out the water with this striking Smythson Passport Cover in Panama? Handcrafted in cross-grain leather, this cover is the height of sophistication and will not only stand out at security, it will make it far more difficult to misplace around the house.

Find out more at smythson.com

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email laura@hurstmediacompany.co.uk or editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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We’re looking after our bodies and our planet in 2022, and these are our predictions of what food and drink trends will come to the fore.

1. Meatless meat

There’s many an eye roll and groan among meat eaters when people talk about veganism, and yet there’s a huge move towards plant-powered food in 2022. Not only are animals left unharmed in the production of vegan burgers, but there are also wider environmental benefits to moving towards meatless meals. Companies like Impossible make delicious vegan fast food that tastes just like McDonald’s, from their burgers to their nuggets.

2. Panther Milk

Panther Milk is a vegan, boozy milk drink that originates in 1920s Barcelona and thrives in 2020s Glasgow. It comes in a wide variety of delicious flavours including mint, salted caramel and coffee and makes for a unique, scrumptious cocktail.

3. Sipful

These delicious, fizzy cocktails-in-cans are a from-home start-up that have already caught the eye of business tycoon Richard Branson. Sipful’s commitment to 100% organic fruit and sustainable production makes their drinks not just scrumptious, but better for the planet.

4. Fermented food

From kombuchas to Japanese natto, fermenting is in fashion. There will be a big move towards the improvement of gut health in 2022, as people learn to listen to their intestines to support a whole host of health problems, both mental and physical. Fermented foods can help care for your insides and ease digestion, making for much happier guts.

5. Potato milk

Almond, oat and soya milk have all enjoyed their time in the limelight, but there’s a new player in town. Deliciously creamy and one of the most sustainable alternative milk on the market – potato milk is going to be big in 2022. Pioneers such as DUG are leading the way with this new dairy alternative.

6. Seeds

Seeds and seed produce are ready to boom in popularity in 2022, starting with sunflower butter. It’s a great peanut butter alternative that can be made at home from sunflower seeds and is already appearing in big-brand ice cream products. Flaxseed and pumpkin seeds will also have a resurgence in 2022 to help boost our healthy fats.

7. Non-alcoholic cocktails

For you it might just be a January thing, but thousands of people across the world are joining the sober movement and reducing or eliminating their alcohol intake in order to improve their health, in what is one of the many ever-growing food and drink trends. Non-alcoholic alternatives to your boozy favourites are a great, delicious way to still feel like you’re part of the party and still be able to drive home safely. Check out Kin Europhics for their wide range of non-alcoholic cocktails.

8. Dining local

Ditch the ‘cook-from-home’ boxes that were all the rage in the pandemic era – it’s time to get out of the house and back into your favourite local restaurant. Those businesses that have survived these dark times will need your support, so opting for the family-run eateries rather than the big hitters and eating local will be huge in 2022.

9. Sustainable seafood

The Seaspiracy documentary has everyone spooked about seafood, so those who love eating from the ocean want to move towards sustainable shellfish in 2022. Red mullet and red gurnard are two British fish that are captured using more sustainable trawling methods, so there’s less weight on your conscience by eating them.

10. Upcycled food

Drinking beer made from old bread might sound odd, but it’s actually a delicious and sustainable way to enjoy alcohol and help the planet in 2022. Toast Ale is a brand that uses surplus bread to make a range of beers, and each box bought also gives money to charity. They are just one brand making new food and drink products from surplus food, helping the world reduce its food waste.

To see your company in any upcoming features we are arranging please email editorial@hurstmediacompany.co.uk

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Many of us have had to adapt to home offices during the pandemic. With attention-demanding children and pets, home-working spouses, housework and home-schooling all under one roof, the distractions and difficulties of home working have presented an array of challenges to employee productivity. Despite these setbacks and the original adjustment period, many workers are now pushing for more regular remote working in the return to the ‘new normal’, with the trend leaning towards a ‘hybrid’ set up; some days spent in the office and the rest at home. Research shows that Gen Z workers in particular are pushing to split their time between home and office to get the best from both worlds.

Employers may understandably feel cautious or uncomfortable with the prospect of staff working out-of-office for half of the week. Although the benefits for staff are clear; among them cheaper lunches, child-care flexibility, home comforts, and lack of commute, it could be argued that business owners gain little from having a team work remotely. Employers may want to consider investing in monitoring software to help manage their remote teams, allowing them to assign tasks and track their progress throughout the day. You will be able to see how long it takes an employee to complete a task, and will also remove the back-and-forth email chasing between managers and staff as the job is in progress.

Regular communication between employees is crucial to keep remote workers engaged, but be careful of ‘Zoom fatigue’ and overloading your staff with onscreen meetings. If a chat can happen face-to-face on office-working days, consider rescheduling so that you can discuss with them in person. It will be much easier to pick up natural physical cues and foster a welcoming atmosphere in these circumstances, rather than on a video conference. Offering bonuses and target incentives can also help drive remote workers to maximise their time and boost overall morale. Recognising and rewarding an employee’s hard work will help keep them motivated and make them more likely to meet or exceed their targets. Focusing on a team’s accomplishments and achievements will help bolster remote workers’ overall sense of purpose and wellbeing. This coupled with continuous feedback will allow the team to develop their skills over time and focus on areas that need the most attention.

Offering flexibility is key to retaining and motivating remote and hybrid workers. Should they need to collect their kids from school in the early afternoon, or attend an important doctor’s appointment, employers should endeavour to arrange a schedule which allows them to do so. One of the main obstacles in remote working can be technology; if your employees don’t have the correct equipment, or their equipment is not fully functioning in a remote environment, their productivity will be impacted and half of the day could be spent trying to overcome the problems it presents.

One of the main aspects of home working is the trust you place in your staff. If employees feel that managers are suspicious of their work-from-home output, or constantly bombarding them with emails and messages to ‘check-in’ on their whereabouts and workload, it fosters an unhealthy surveillance culture and can breed animosity between employees and managers. Finding ways to mitigate these issues, such as investing in software to manage employee schedules, and having weekly meetings to summarise the achievements of the week, rather than check-up on them frequently throughout the working day.

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Buzzwords like ‘burnout’ and ‘self-care’ crept into the public consciousness pre-pandemic, and their importance and meaning have only intensified. Recognised by the World Health Organization as an ‘occupational phenomenon’, burnout refers to emotional and physical exhaustion brought on by work, busy parenting schedules, and the stresses of modern-day life. Feelings of tiredness, self-doubt and being overwhelmed are common in those experiencing burnout, which all have a detrimental impact on employee productivity. A recent survey by analytics site Visier found that 89% of employees experienced burnout over the past year. It also revealed that two-thirds of employees would leave their current role for one that offered comprehensive resources and benefits intended to reduce or prevent burnout. It’s wise for business owners to invest in support for staff to help them in their self-care, enabling them to avoid burnout and the feelings of hopelessness associated with it.

Implementing a culture of self-care in the workplace may seem daunting, but simple changes can make huge differences in the health and wellbeing of your staff. Valuing your employees’ ‘off’ time is an important place to start from. Discouraging them from eating their lunch at their desks, making sure they log off at the end of the working day and ensuring they don’t reply to emails out of office hours can make a huge difference to employee wellbeing. Businesses that work across multiple time zones will find that their employees work long into the night to communicate with colleagues in other regions, but this leads to employees never ‘switching off’ from their role, creating stress and building resentment towards their employer. 

Scheduling outdoor and movement time within the working day, perhaps by establishing and promoting a walking lunch, will also break up the working day and allow employees to escape the claustrophobia of the office. Changing the language used when approaching problems and situations can also be helpful in combating the toxic culture of immediacy that’s linked to burnout. Is a certain problem or request truly urgent? Does it need to be attended to instantly, or could your employee better manage their time and workday to prioritise each thing in turn? Expecting employees to drop their current task and attend to non-time sensitive requests from their superiors can be disruptive and contribute to increasing stress levels in the workforce.

Introducing wellness ‘check-in’s with staff can be a great way to monitor your employees’ mental wellbeing and to receive valuable feedback about what areas could be improved. Break-out sessions in mindfulness or yoga can also be helpful to keep staff engaged in self-care. Promoting the use of apps such as Headspace and 10% Happier will also encourage employees to take time out of work to look after themselves and their mental health. Allowing employees flexibility in their schedule to tend to their family, pets or attend to other important personal issues will also steer staff away from potential burnout.

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Diverse workplaces are productive workplaces. A mix of employees of different backgrounds, races, genders and sexualities with varied life experiences makes for a more efficient and creative workforce, and research shows that companies with an inclusive culture are twice as likely to exceed their financial targets. By expanding their recruitment beyond the ‘pale, stale and male’ culture that dominated workforces in the past, companies are opening up their businesses to a wealth of talent and a world of more efficient, creative problem solving. Global finance company KPMG recently committed to having 29% of its workforce hail from working-class backgrounds by 2030, paving the way for greater opportunities for graduates and job seekers from less fortunate economic circumstances.

The first step in building a diverse workforce is to foster a culture in which diversity can thrive. If individuals are hired, but later not made to feel included, supported, or understood, it can create friction between colleagues and ultimately have a negative impact on productivity down the line. Structuring the company mission statement to champion diversity and inclusion is vital, as is regularly educating and coaching your staff on inclusion. Workshops and training courses which allow staff to gain greater understanding of their colleagues’ circumstances will create a more powerful team of varied minds that can listen to and respect each other. Without the necessary training, coaching and support in place, any active diversity hiring can be perceived as a tick-box exercise and will not achieve the same results.

Once a culture of inclusion has been established, business owners should employ appropriate methods to access a diverse talent pool. Dealing with recruitment companies who actively hire diverse workforces is a start, but if you are recruiting directly there are various methods you can use to make sure the job is done efficiently. This begins with the wording of job advertisements to make them more inclusive, avoiding jargon or corporate language that might alienate applicants, or wording that might subtly discriminate against different ages, genders or religions.

Telling candidates that you are actively seeking to employ from a diverse range of backgrounds will also cast the net wide. Ensuring hiring managers see only ‘blind’ CVs – CVs which contain no personal data such as names and date of birth, will ensure that any unconscious bias does not impact recruitment and that the hiring is based entirely on work experience and merit. Once the interviewees are selected, you will also need to create a diverse interview panel which reflects your inclusive culture and allows for a broader spectrum of opinions on your new hire.

Once you have hired your staff, maintaining your healthy and diverse workforce is key for staff retention. Ongoing training and coaching is required, and you may want to consider employee-led diversity and inclusion groups. Electing in-house diversity and inclusion officers who people can approach for information and support, and arranging regular wellbeing check-ins with all staff will contribute to the productivity and health of your employees.

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Whether we like it or not, technology is, little by little, taking over the smooth-running of our homes. Our devices can switch our lights on and off, give us the news headlines over our morning coffee, answer probing questions from the internet, sing us songs, or bark like dogs should we so ask them to. Alexa’s dulcet tones chime from smart speakers in around 78% of UK homes, while 36% of Brits prefer Google Assistant, and sales of smart speakers tend to spike around Black Friday, when retail giants slash their prices and the home assistant technology becomes immediately more attractive.

Home assistant technology is only going to become more intelligent and more omnipresent in 2022, and it may not only improve your household organisation but save you money on your energy bills. Apps such as Nest and Hive thermostats study your household energy usage and adapt it to suit your needs, allowing you to save energy and lower costs. You can configure heat and light settings from these apps, controlling your energy usage far more accurately than turning a dial or flicking a switch on a boiler. It also helps on cold nights when heading back from work, or if you are caught unexpectedly in the rain – you can have your house toasty and warm for your return by remotely adjusting your heating from your phone. Also, if you are prone to accidentally leaving the heating on when you leave the house, smart thermostats allow you to correct the error of your forgetfulness when you’re on the go.

Ai is also making strides in home security, and sales of networked cameras, video doorbells, and smart speakers are expected to boom in 2022. Apps such as Ringo and Eufy allow you to answer your doorbell remotely when it rings, meaning that no matter where you are in the world you can see who’s standing on your front doorstep and speak to them directly. This should bypass any ‘sorry we missed you’ Royal Mail or delivery cards, but also fend off any unwanted guests you’d rather not answer the door.

Linking smart devices will be huge in 2022, thanks in small part to the arrival of Matter. The big AI home assistant players such as Amazon, Google and Apple have agreed that Matter will be a connectivity standard that allows all smart home devices to communicate with each other. In layman’s terms, that means your Siri and Alexa can be friends, and your TV remote can talk to your thermostat. This groundbreaking development is a huge move towards the technological utopia of ‘The Internet of Things’ which will see homes have an interrelated system of objects – from the app that tracks the location of your cat to your bedside lamp – which share data and learn from your surroundings without the need for human intervention. And if that sounds like the robots are planning to overthrow us in 2022, it’s probably because they are.

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