How Misha Shahzada, NYC makeup artist, sticks to simple habits
NYC makeup artist Misha Shahzada believes in the power of routine. (After all, it takes practice and consistency to get perfect winged eyeliner!) More than that, we love that Misha’s daily habits are simple and sustainable — like long walks with her poodle, positive affirmations, and scheduling her “me” time.
Here’s a peek at Misha’s average day.
🌅 Misha’s morning routine
To get her day going, Misha focuses on these simple habits:
- Taking her poodle out first thing in the morning for a really long walk
- Drinking lots of coffee! (We can relate)
- Exercising
When it comes to working out in the AM, Misha said, “It gets my endorphins flowing and puts me in a better mood throughout the day. Whenever I work out first thing in the morning I find that I am much more productive versus the days I don’t exercise. It’s just really good for my mind and spirit.”
Misha offers up a great reminder that a long walk can be just as restorative as a sweaty HIIT workout or trendy spin class.
🤸♀️ Consistency > perfection.
For Misha, exercise doesn’t have to be intense to be beneficial. She focuses on feeling good and making movement a habit, not a chore.
“Even when I am really not in the mood to be active, I just say, ‘Ok let’s just walk for 20 minutes.’ I find that even doing just a little bit is better than nothing, and this really motivates me,” she said.
Here a few alternative forms of movement for when you’re not feeling like exercising:
- Start with a simple 10 minute yoga sesh, like this Yoga with Adriene video
- Stretch right after waking up to give your body a jolt of energy
- Like Misha, take a 20 minute walk outside (and try not to look at your phone)
📅 Block off “you” time on your calendar.
When she’s not working to create beautiful works of art with makeup for our fave celebs, Misha’s a big believer in making time for herself. She understands that daily stress can compound and eventually lead to burnout.
“Having work-life balance is so essential because if I work too much and don’t make time for my personal life, this tends to lead to other problems. Whenever work is crazy, I make it a point to stop and block off time from my calendar so that my body can recover and I can spend time with loved ones. Because at the end of the day, the most important thing to me is family and health.”
Here are a few ways to use an hour blocked off on your calendar just for you:
- Take yourself out to lunch, or spend 10 extra minutes prepping something at home you really love. (Bonus — eat without your phone or laptop in sight!)
- Get some fresh air, especially if you skipped a morning walk
- Take a nap!
- Scheduling something to pamper yourself, like a massage, a phone call with a loved one, a mani/pedi. Whatever makes you feel brand new
Be kind to yourself.
While Misha recognizes this can be easier said than done, being kind to herself even when moments are tough is a must in her daily life. “I just try not to beat myself up over things that are not in my control. When I’m really hard on myself, that tends to lead to negativity.”
A few ways to be extra kind to yourself:
- Write in a gratitude notebook or journal 3 things you love about yourself
- Ask for help on a task you’ve been putting off (feeling connected to our community helps us feel like we can tackle life’s challenges)
- Call a friend and talk about your favorite memories to press pause on that loop of negative thinking
- Spend 5 extra minutes doing your makeup or getting ready, just because
- Talk through negative self-talk with a therapist or coach
“As cliché as this may sound, at the end of the day we can all just do our best and remind ourselves that tomorrow is a new day,” said Misha.
Follow Misha’s journey as a makeup artist on Instagram.