Smalls says she missed Muay Thai during the pandemic.

At the beginning of the pandemic, model Joan Smalls thought that one of the benefits of staying at home would be the ability to sleep in later in the morning. "I'm a sleeper," she says. "I thought I could have great and long mornings [sleeping in]." But that wasn't the case. She found herself waking up automatically around 7:30 or 8 am, and some mornings, as early as 5 am. The first thing she does is check her phone because before going to bed, she puts it on airplane mode and do not disturb mode with Wi-Fi disabled. "I just check that there hasn't been an emergency, that my family hasn't needed me for anything," she says.

Smalls, 32, who made her debut in 2007, got her big break three years later by walking in Givenchy's haute couture fashion show in Paris. Since then, she has participated in over 500 runway shows and starred in campaigns for brands like Chanel, Ralph Lauren, and Tiffany. In 2011, she became the first Latina model to represent Estée Lauder. She was born and raised in Hatillo, Puerto Rico, where she spent part of the pandemic. Last June, Smalls announced that she would donate half of her 2020 salary to support the Black Lives Matter movement. At the same time, she launched DonateMyWage.org, a platform where anyone can enter their salary amount to calculate the equivalent of donating an hour, a day, a week, or a month of salary. She speaks here with WSJ about what she has learned from creating this platform.

What do you eat for breakfast to start the week right?

I have a weakness for sweets, so I eat oatmeal. Sometimes I make scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and a piece of toast, a slice of avocado. Other days, it's a piece of fruit. Before eating, I tend to drink water.

How do you prepare for Monday? With caffeine?

I'm not a caffeine drinker. I stopped drinking coffee when my grandmother passed away over 15 years ago. It reminded me too much of her. Every afternoon when I came home from school, she would say, "Have a little coffee!" She served it with crackers that we dipped in the coffee. I like the taste of coffee, and occasionally I'll have some, but I don't necessarily crave it, to be honest.

Do you take vitamins?

Right now, I'm taking zinc, probiotics, vitamin D, a B-complex vitamin. I'm taking this powder called MSM [methylsulfonylmethane] - it's supposed to promote hair growth, so we'll see. And then vitamin C and milk thistle.

What is your beauty routine like?

I always use lip balm. The one I'm currently using is Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. During quarantine, I left my hair natural, and nobody bothered with it, no need. So I thought, "Okay, you're going to decondition yourself." I went online and started researching, and I made this concoction in a squeeze bottle with jojoba oil, castor oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, a little tea tree oil, argan oil, and olive oil. I mixed it all together, and every morning, I would put it on my scalp and massage it, then run it through my hair because since it's curly, it tends to be a bit drier. I did that every morning, and at the end of the week, I would wash and deep condition my hair.

What do you wear when you're at home?

Since I was in Puerto Rico most of the time, it's very hot there, so I literally stayed in panties and a shirt. Since I live in a gated community, people can't see me inside. It was very liberating. You don't have to think about what you have to wear.

How has the pandemic changed your work and lifestyle? Do you feel like things are starting to return to normal?

I don't think "normal" is the right word to describe the situation. I think nothing will ever go back to normal. Work has started to pick up, but it requires more planning and more time to confirm things. Can you enter the country? There is less work; budgets have also changed. Products don't sell as they used to; there's no [normal] Fashion Week, editorials are reduced. Everything is a bit minimal.

Do you miss Fashion Week?

What I miss the most are the reunions, seeing my friends. Knowing that everyone was in the same country was almost like a traveling group. Often, we don't get the chance to see each other because we're on the move and we miss each other. So, when we know who will be in town from our team, we can go out to dinner, catch up, have a drink, order room service. I miss that part a lot, and also seeing creativity. There's so much inspiration.

What have you learned from launching DonateMyWage.org?

It's not as easy as it seems to convince brands to make donations. Often, I tell them, "I'm giving this, would you like to partner with us? Because there's no budget for this, they can't do it. But then they say, Oh, we can give a certain amount, and then they want a mention of it or they want affiliation. And I tell them, "Yes, but you'll have to get more involved."

Will you continue to make donations in 2021?

I will continue to promote it, develop the website, and create different ways to donate. Of course, yes, I will continue to make donations, but not at 50%. I'm sure there will be other causes to donate to, other crises.

Do you feel like you've seen changes in the fashion industry's attitude since last June?

I've seen brands use more people of color in their advertising campaigns and editorials, which is a good thing. But at the same time, will it continue, or is it just a trend? I think in fashion, there should be an equality responsibility for all, not just for the Black community. I remember at one point, the new trend was Asia and China. On all the runways, magazine covers, editorials, you saw an influx of Asian models and hardly any Black or Latinas. It comes in waves. Now that everyone is focusing on Black Lives, there's more interest in that, and now they're shifting to Asian models. There should be equality everywhere, consistently, with all races.

Have you read or watched anything good lately?

My sister just introduced me to a series called Veneno on HBO Max. It's the story of a transgender sex worker in Spain who tells her life and transition story. She became the most popular and famous transgender personality in Spain. It's an incredible story. Then I finished The Undoing, and I was so mad. I was like, "Really? Really? I expected a different ending."

If you're feeling overwhelmed, do you do anything to avoid it or relax?

I listen to music. I turn it up and get into the rhythm, and I start dancing. It relaxes me. Right now, I'm listening to Wizkid's new album [Made in Lagos]. It's a kind of afrobeats, an island vibe that you can listen to and it puts you in a good mood. It feels like you're in a sunny place sipping a tropical drink and enjoying the outdoors.

What does your exercise routine look like these days?

I do 45 minutes [per day] - it's mostly bodyweight resistance training. I do planks, different types of sit-ups, anything aimed at strengthening my core because I have scoliosis. I work a lot on my glutes: kickbacks, squats, fire hydrants. I do cardio maybe three times a week. When I was in Puerto Rico, I ran outside because the view is beautiful outside and to run under the palm trees. I haven't done Muay Thai for over a year now, and I'm starting to miss it. I think a girl should always be able to throw a good punch. It's a good form of self-defense.