Model diary: A day in the life of Mao Xiaoxing

Hailing from Northern China, Mao Xiaoxing has taken her rightful place as a top model in Europe. Moving to Bordeaux at age 20 to fulfil her dreams of studying fashion, she spent a year in the wine country to embrace the language and culture before embarking on her ESMOD schooling in Paris. From her first day of class, Xiaoxing's peers clearly saw something else in her as they repeatedly requested her to model for their collections. What began as a creative hobby of shooting and filming new concepts with her friends, naturally evolved into a modelling career.

Mao's weekly jobs stretch across many international borders, and Stockholm was a recent destination for her. Though a day in her life is demanding and fast-paced with little time to herself, Xiaoxing proudly roots herself in Chinese philosophies to maintain focus on set, feel safe in her mind and body, and stay grounded in her routines.

Here's an intimate glimpse into her latest travel diary:

I'm an early riser, but on shoot days, I wake up extra early to give myself the gift of 'me' time. The first thing I do when I open my eyes in the morning is to close them again, but with intention. I put on a five minute video meditation, breathe and listen to affirmations.

Meditation helps me to tap into my subconscious softly and gently and makes me feel safe and happy – the perfect head space to bring with me on to set. If I feel like working out afterwards, I usually fill my living room with plants and a big mirror to create the ideal space for doing some yoga.

After a shower, the next step of my morning routine is a ritual of Chinese medicine which my grandparents taught me. "It's not about what you can see, but what you can feel," they say. I start by massaging my face, my neck, and then my shoulder with serum or cream. Our fingers have the strongest chi in our bodies, so massaging the skin helps your chi flow up and then down, making the skin's energy come alive and really awaken you.

A hotel breakfast has really become the norm for me. Since I don't diet or restrict my eating, I usually have coffee, juice, bread, eggs, and some fruit in order to get as energised as possible – I'm a big believer in protecting energy in order to give energy.

In Chinese culture, the rule is to give 80% of your uniqueness away and keep 20% for yourself. I always try to adopt this mindset at a shoot to ensure I hold on to some part of myself, especially when, as a model, you're the primary focus for so many hours.

I like it when teams come by the studio to watch us work. At a place like H&M Studios, where their team members are more experienced than I am, it makes me feel good when I see people coming in and out, smiling over at me and speaking gently. I've noticed that when I work with Swedes, I mirror their energy – reserved, gentle and generous.

When I'm in a new city, I explore as much as I can. A Chinese saying goes, "if you walk for 100 steps after dinner, then you will live to be 100 years old." After finishing at H&M, I walk around my hotel, a mall, and into a garden, which helps to refresh my mind.

Though I've lived in Europe for almost four years now, I'm still a traditional Chinese girl. When I am not working, I love exploring Paris with my friends or boyfriend – I'm not really much of a party person. An ideal afternoon for me is getting bubble tea, taking a stroll and enjoying a long picnic. This lifestyle helps balance out my heavy travelling and work schedule.

Before bed, I always wash my hands and feet in hot water for 15 minutes with Chinese herbs, ginger, and salt. Hand and foot bathing helps clean my body's energies and rebalances the Taoist energies of Yin and Yang.

After a shoot, I always do a Japanese lavender hydrating mask and then I do a full body massage, the same process as the morning. Around the shoulder and under the clavicle is important because we block so much emotion by the throat. When we touch it deeply, the energy gets pushed down to your foot which signifies a good omen.

I prefer to stay off my phone at night, so before I go to bed, I usually read a book which helps me to unwind. I'm currently reading the three-part Conversation With God by Neale Donald Walsch – I highly recommend it.