Noreen B.
Resilience Restoration Consultant at The Smile Side of Life
Public Speaking/Storytelling
Education: Certified Laughter Wellness Instructor, Certified Laughter Yoga Leader, Chief Well-Being Officer candidate - Member: Association for Applied & Therapeutic Humor
New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Biography
Noreen is a keynote speaker, workshop presenter, storyteller, author, conference enhancer and instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Rutgers University. She uses her training as a certified laughter wellness instructor to specialize in well-being habits, including laughter, to help others build resilience and enhance well-being. Noreen deals with her fibromyalgia and thyroid disease with humor, reminding us all that yesterday’s problem can be today’s funny story.
She has presented her well-being messages to organizations such as, The National Association of Government Communicators, NAADAC- The Association for Addiction Professionals, The Center for Great Expectations, New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, Sunnybrook Assisted Living, The Wexford at Wall Township, Hispanic National Bar Association, CFC Loud & Clear Foundation, NJLAP's Networkers Without Borders, Raritan Police Department, NJ Public Defenders, Morristown Hospital Women's Group, Mercer County Bar Association, Burlington County Bar Association, New Jersey Association for Justice, Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey, The Society for Emotional Intelligence, The Arc of Middlesex, East Windsor Township Senior Center, Recovery 360, Paint the Mall Purple Recovery Event, The Arbor Company, Oscar Health, The Morris County Democrats LGBTQ+ Caucus, Various Community Groups, and others.
Most recently, her full length video version of "The Laughter Lightning Round" won a 2023 Gold Award from MarCom.
Passion
I have always been a storyteller, weaving that into my passion for laughter and overall well-being. "Laughing for the health of it," discovering the origins of laughter in humans, and learning why we need to use laughter and well-being habits "on purpose," are based on real human survival necessities!
When I receive feedback such as this I am honored and thrilled that I have helped others:
"Noreen’s presentation was great - just what we needed to lighten up our retreat, and our lives.
Her laughter/humor/smiling session helped us get in touch with a part of ourselves that needs more expression, particularly in our war-torn country.”
— Yury T., Ukraine
Mental Health Practitioners Group
Featured Video
Featured Book
My Podcast
I am willing to travel
More than 100 miles
When it comes to payments
I generally get paid for speaking but make exceptions
Topics
Best Story
Like trauma, laughter cements memories into the amygdala – yet we rarely recognize that. It may be because, as some scientist theorize, that there needs to be more happy memories stored in the brain than traumatic memories to attain a “balance.” And yet, we are sometimes confused about the use of laughter, the expressions of humor and how to include them.
Once, at a Laughter Break for a parents of addicted children meeting, I was patting myself on the back for bringing them some lighthearted fun. As I walked to my car, a mom came running up to me, tears streaming down her face. Immediately, I thought that I had done something inappropriate. Instead, she hugged me, and through her tears told me, “I haven’t laughed since I lost my son.” Memories of happier times were now popping up in her mind, things she hadn’t thought of in a long time. She thanked me for helping her make that breakthrough. I told her how happy I was for her between my own tears.
Origin Story
A Story of Reinvention, Persistence, and Laughter
The hits came fast - Noreen Braman found herself reeling from a corporate downsizing, dealing with a economic recession of historic proportions, and facing her own self-doubt issues. Reinvention was in the cards, and soon her skills as a strategic communications professional, humorist and performer would send her in a new direction.
Within one year, she became a certified Laughter Yoga Leader, had her mind blown at a conference called "Can Humor Save the World" and studied the Psychology of Laughter at Rutgers University. Shortly after, she added certification in Laughter Wellness, studied the Science of Happiness through UC Berkeley, joined the Association for Applied & Therapeutic Humor (AATH) and is currently a Chief Well-Being Officer candidate through the World Happiness Foundation. What started out as laughter for the health of it through her Smile Side of Life Laughter & Happiness Club presentations has become a joyful journey of laughter sessions, stress management, resilience boosting, and help others find a mission and purpose like she did for herself. She continues to add to her knowledge base through continuing education and certifications, workshops, conferences and seminars.
Noreen credits Dr. Paul McGhee's book "Humor as Survival Training for a Stressed Out World" as well as Linda Richman's "I'd Rather Laugh: How to Be Happy Even if Life has Other Plans for You," for planting the seed of helping others understand the importance of humor and laughter to all humans. With the physical and emotional health benefits that come with humor, laughter and mindfulness, Noreen deals with her fibromyalgia and thyroid disease with humor, reminding us all that yesterday's problem can be today's funny story.
Example talks
Take A Laughter Break for the Health of It! Noreen's most popular presentation!
Whether you are looking for a stress-buster for your employees, an interactive, fun break for your conference attendees, or activities for your club, recreation program or senior living facility, a Laughter Break will fill the bill! Based on the concept of Laughter Wellness and Laughter Yoga, this presentation is adaptable to all professions, ages, and levels of physical ability. From a stand-alone introductory workshop, to a multi-week Smile Side of Life Laughter & Happiness Club, a laughter break is just what you need to help both your wellness and well-being!
This fun, stress-relieving interactive program will show participants:
1. The relationship of humor and laughter to mental and physical wellness
2. The role of laughter in human development
3. The concept of Laughing for no reason (just for the health of it) with interactive exercises
5 Habits that Build Resilience and Enhance Well-Being
A flexible offering that can be presented as:
1 hour overview
5 hour series - 1 per habit
Successful leaders share well-being habits that help them inspire, motivate, and mentor in the workplace, no matter what the profession. With news reports, online articles, group discussions and best-selling books full of advice about achieving well-being, the list of recommendations can be long and intimidating. In this presentation, Noreen Braman will focus on 5 important habits needed in our well-being “toolkit” to help build resilience for those times when stress can be overwhelming. Noreen will also discuss the differences between wellness and well-being, (and how that relates to both physical and mental health) and introduce attendees to the important reports about Lawyer Well-Being issues by the American Bar Association, in collaboration with the Committee on Lawyer Assistance Programs.
Mindfulness – Are you mindful, mindless or, is your mind full?
Gratitude – Your brain on being thankful
Purpose – Your personal “mission in life”
Happiness – What is it, and why is everyone talking about it
Laughter – a human survival skill since before humans had language
What Gets You Out of Bed in the Morning? Creating Your Personal Mission and Vision Statements
Having a personal mission and vision statement helps you discover or rediscover, your “reason for getting up in the morning.” While this can include self-focused things such as self-improvement and self-satisfying activities, the well-being and longevity enhancing benefits of living with a purpose are greatest when you can expand your life work/interests/passions to include benefiting others. Learn why a sense of purpose is important, and how it can change over the course of a lifetime. Attendees will come away from the presentation with a first draft mission and vision statement.
• Learn the importance of a sense of purpose and how it changes through life stages
• Understand the difference between a mission statement and a vision statement
• Participate in interactive discussions
• Create preliminary mission and vision statements
• All attendees will receive a PDF version of “What Gets You Out of Bed in the Morning?” additional information on personal mission and vision statements. Organizations have the option of purchasing printed copies for attendees
WORKSHOP: Building Your Humor Reserve: How laughter enhances your professional and personal life
This interactive workshop explores how to build a "humor reserve," and how an understanding of the importance of laughter and humor to success and well-being. Learn how laughter has been a survival tool since before humans had language and why "learning to laugh for the health of it" could be the best way to share laughter with friends, family, and colleagues! Includes laughter tests, worksheets, and interactive laughter wellness exercises. Recently presented to the National Association of Government Communicators.