Model Onella Muralidharan on the ‘Everyday Blues’ and Finding Balance

The model and content creator opens up about dreaming big, switching off and finding balance.

Welcome to The Wind Down, a monthly interview series on Bed Threads Journal. Here, we speak candidly to experts and thought-leaders across a range of disciplines on, well, winding down, and what self-care looks like, actually. For this instalment, we speak to model and content creator Onella Muralidharan.

T wo years ago, Onella Muralidharan was your typical uni student. While she studied Interior Design, she had a part-time job at Bunnings, had recently started pole dancing as a hobby, and loved spending weekends exploring nature.

But then, after some encouragement from her friends, Onella entered – and won – the BELLA Unsigned Model Search, and her life completely changed. “It’s been two years since the competition and I’ve been on a wild ride through this industry ever since,” she shared with Bed Threads Journal.

Now, Onella is one of Australia’s most in-demand models and content creators, booking world-class clients and rapidly growing her own social media following. She has appeared everywhere from the pages of Vogue, to the runways of Sydney and Melbourne Fashion Week, and the campaigns of iconic brands including Mecca and Bonds.

But Onella is far more than just a pretty face. She’s also a role model for self-love and acceptance, encouraging us all to embrace our differences and celebrate ourselves for who we are. Onella was born with vitiligo, a skin condition which results in the loss of pigment in parts of the skin. And while she’s never considered this a struggle, her experience has given her a blueprint for how to accept and embrace the things that make you different.

We were delighted to sit down with Onella at the Mornington Peninsula home she shares with her partner, Ryan, and her four fur babies, to talk about dreaming big, switching off, and what’s in store for 2024.

Bed Threads: Hey Onella, welcome to The Wind Down! Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Onella Muralidharan: Hi! My name is Onella and I’m a model, content creator, and interior designer. I live on the Mornington Peninsula with my partner Ryan and our little fur family! We’ve got two cats and two Golden Retrievers, who are just so cute. I’m very much a homebody, but I also really enjoy getting out of the house, especially if it’s to be out in nature. The trees are my happy place!

BT: How did you get into your line of work?

OM: I got into modelling and content creation after I won the BELLA Unsigned Model Search back in 2021. It’s been two years since the competition and I’ve been on a wild ride through this industry ever since. Excited for what’s in store in 2024!

BT: What does a typical week look like for you?

OM: Ahh, I don’t really have a typical week anymore. Working from home and in the modelling industry, each week looks so different, which can be really fun but I also crave structure. I’m designing my typical week to include set hours to create content and work, time to wind down and relax, and time to have some fun with friends or family!

“I often have to remind myself to think one step at a time, otherwise I get overwhelmed.”

BT: What does self-care look like for you?

Self-care to me is a combination of things. It could be simply sitting on the couch and watching a show I’ve been waiting to watch, or it could be more intentional like meditation, walking, journaling, listening to a podcast or music, or even skincare.

BT: Working online, how do you switch off and strike a balance between being ‘on’ and ‘off’? Is this something you’ve had to work on?

OM: The balance of switching on and off from work has been a long-standing battle, especially over the past two years. Since I work from home when making content, it’s been really hard to find that balance. I find my brain is always on, thinking about everything I need to do and want to do. I’ve always dreamed big so there are always things I want to achieve, but I often have to remind myself to think one step at a time, otherwise, I get overwhelmed.

I’m still working on getting my balance right, so here’s to a more balanced 2024!

BT: What is one non-negotiable way you care for yourself each day?

It would have to be skincare! I cannot live without moisturiser every day after a shower. I also love trying new combinations of products depending on how I feel each day. It’s my little moment of ‘me time’, even if nothing has gone right in the day!

BT: Do you ever get the Sunday night blues? Do you have any tips for avoiding them?

OM: I used to always get the Sunday Blues, and now it’s more like Everyday Blues because I don’t have a set work schedule and sometimes work over the weekends.

What’s helped me combat the Blues is planning my weekends. I make sure I’ve blocked time out to tidy and clean my home – I’m very much a ‘tidy home, tidy mind’ type of person – so when I have to get back to work I feel like my mind is clear. I also like to make sure I block out some time to have fun and do the things I want to do over the weekend, so when it comes time for work again it doesn’t feel like I’ve had to sacrifice everything I’ve wanted to do.