Check Out Nahrin Chowdhury’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nahrin Chowdhury.

Hi Nahrin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m grateful to have warm memories and lots of lessons that shaped me. I have gone through two distinct transformations and see this as chapter 3 of my story. I’m lucky that every chapter has been amazing in its own unique way.

I am a first-generation Bengali-American Muslim woman, born and raised in New York. I grew up in a nice suburban area outside of the city. My neighborhood was great but also, I had a very large and tight-knit community of other Bengalis who I saw multiple times a week. It was great to grow up with other first-generation kids and uncles and aunties who were like parents and gave me lots of love. I only knew the norms – grow up, become a doctor, pharmacist or lawyer, marry a Bengali man, and live in the suburbs, which I was happy to do. That defined happiness for me at the time. I disappointed my family and community when I left my career path after attending pharmacy school to become a teacher, my passion. Everything was fine when I married the first gen Bengali man who I fell in love with, as he was my childhood best friend. We had the ultimate wedding of 900 people and 30 days of celebrations. Although I knew he got hangry at times and thought it was cute he got upset when his sports teams lost, it was no longer cute when his anger was taken out on me and I became his punching bag. Growing up with love and being sheltered I had no idea what red flags were or what abuse was. I was ashamed and did not tell anyone about the verbal or physical abuse. I went through with the wedding and became the picture-perfect couple. The abuse escalated along with cheating and other things that were overwhelming. We tried counseling and anger management but this only exacerbated the situation. One night an incident happened where I had to call the police. I am 4’11 weighing under 80 lbs and he is 6′ weighing 220 lbs. I left that night and never went back. I was not safe in my own home. The divorce was long and messy, and as a female, I was blamed by many.

As hard as this situation was, it pushed me to transform into a strong, fierce, and independent woman. I went to live in Manhattan and created a brand new life and focused on myself. I made new friends, and learned a lot about myself and the world. I was thriving in NYC with an amazing apartment, great friends, working out, fun nights out, traveling and just loving life. In chapter 1 of my life I knew one version of happiness and now my eyes were open to infinite possibilities. I made a bucket list for myself, I still use today and started checking things off. I started boxing, working out, trying new hobbies, traveling the world, and even ventured to South Africa by myself. I found my voice, my strength and self-love that made me feel capable of anything. Summer of 2019, I was looking to switch jobs – I was an assistant principal at the time – and I connected with Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. I didn’t think I would ever take the job as I had never been to LA and did not know anyone there but the mission of Partnership aligned with everything I wanted in my career so I couldn’t say no. My passion has always been in teaching and my goal was to make change in underserved communities. So with an apartment I got over the phone, I came out to LA.

As a true New Yorker, I was set to walk everywhere. That first week I walked from DTLA to a gym in West Hollywood, did a workout class and then walked home. I also walked from DTLA to Venice Beach and then walked back. It took me one year to give in and get a car. I also had the habit of being on the go, and even at work, not taking breaks like in New York. I had to learn more about work-life balance and the importance of self-care. I was lucky that I met great friends who have become family to me now. We have an amazing group of girls that are really supportive, kind and really caring.

It was when the pandemic hit, soon after I moved, that I was given the opportunity to go through another transformation. I turned to meditation to deal with the stress at the time and my life changed completely. Over the last four years, I have learned so much about mindfulness, healing, work-life balance, and just navigating through life with a sense of calm. I still take the meditation classes weekly with the same teacher and have expanded my knowledge of wellness by getting certified in mindfulness, meditation and stress management at Harvard University.

My purpose has always been to help and inspire others to live to their greatest potential and to impact change in the world. I’m grateful for the opportunity to do that in the 20 years I have been in education. I work really hard at Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, where we are transforming the 20 most underserved schools in LAUSD. My days really consist of me going to schools in Watts, Boyle Heights and South LA each day. One amazing aspect of the people I work with is that many of them have grown up in the communities and are dedicated to giving back. I can relate to that sentiment as I often felt this void that I wanted to extend my support beyond the schools, especially to empower women. I wanted to also give back to women, or anyone, who faced challenges similar to mine so that they would not have to navigate through them alone and figure things out on their own, as I did.

This desire led me to start my own company, Unstressified, a stress management coaching and consulting company. While stress is a very normal part of life, it doesn’t have to be a burden that depletes our well-being. I can continue to live my purpose of helping others, impacting change and continuing to be an educator by helping others with stress management strategies personalized to their needs. I help clients with everything from organization/time management to mindset shifts to mindfulness/breathwork/meditation. It has been truly fulfilling to have clients feel happier and healthier.

I have made Los Angeles home now, although New York still has my heart. I spend my days at work at the Partnership for LA Schools and then work on Unstressified. I love exploring LA, having nice dinners with friends, going to the beach, working out and continuing to check on things on my bucket list.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were many challenges along the way. Everything from figuring out my career, marriage and divorce, breaking away from traditions and community norms, taking risks, setting boundaries, and figuring out who I truly am and what I want for my life. I’m so passionate about mindfulness – so much that I founded Unstressified – because it helped me go within myself to figure it all out. I have come to a point now that when I am faced with a challenge I don’t get upset anymore. I am more interested in what lesson I can learn.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have been in education for almost 20 years. I really broke the rules to go into education and leave the pharmacy, as that was not acceptable in my Bengali at the time, which is a testament to my passion. I can say 20 years later,. I did not teach math in the traditional sense of at the board and assigned 20 problems. Each day we did a project where the students worked for hands, think critically, make real-life connections and problems solve collaboratively. We did everything from building bridges and buildings to redesigning & urban planning parts of the city to meet the needs of the community, all using math. I then got a degree in school and district leadership and became an Assistant Principal.

Summer 2019, I came to work at Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. We work to transform 20 underserved schools in Watts, Boyle Heights and South LA. I primarily work with school leaders on systems, curriculum, instruction and assessments to ensure our students are getting the highest quality education and there is equity in our schools. The mission brought me to a city I had never been to and I knew no one at all. I also recently started a business in stress management coaching and consulting for individuals and organizations called Unstressified. This is different than other wellness companies in that we really work on mindset shifts, identity shifts, core values, and incremental micro changes that fit the person’s lifestyle (whether it is organization or wellness) to ensure the transformation is sustainable. I also do speaking engagements and workshops.

My purpose is to inspire others to live their best life and impact change in the world. I am grateful that my work at Partnership for Los Angeles Schools and my new company, Unstressified, are aligned with my purpose. These are my two biggest areas of focus at the moment.

I have been in education for about 20 years now. I am probably even more passionate about it today. I taught math for 13 years in the NYC public schools, served as a school leader, and currently in LA working to transform 20 underserved schools in Watts, Boyle Heights, and South LA.

On June 1, 2023, I launched Unstressified, a stress management coaching and consulting company. I have developed a 3-step process to encourage individuals to explore their core values and identity, shift mindset, and implement incremental micro changes that are personalized to ensure their transformation is sustainable. I have collaborated with organizations and professionals to do workshops, speaking engagements, and even be a guest on several podcasts. I have been providing meditation sessions and breathwork practice. Additionally, I am hosting monthly restorative retreats on a beautiful, mountain top villa that is breathtaking and the perfect place for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I find the most happiness in the process of anything. I’m happy when I’m spending quality time with family and friends. I’m happy when I am doing new things on my bucket list like exploring a new place or learning something like skateboarding. I am happy when I am challenged and I am learning something new. I am happy when I am working on even work-related tasks that I find are aligned to my bigger purpose. I’m happy when I take risks and feel accomplished because I tried.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.unstressified.com
• Instagram: @unstressified
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nahrin-chowdhury-73559b120