Our namungo series show these fictional friends which map to real brain parts, as allies, not obstacles. Still, we choose daily how each namungo aids or optimizes our strengths. What should we watch for and how might we weave all six namungos into lifelong wellbeing for learning and leading growth at every age.
BAS: our basal-ganglia keeper of habits and routines, reminds us to live differently.
BAS, nickname for our basal ganglia, stores the routines, comfort zones, and habits that keep us moving day-to-day. When BAS works with us, our stable facts and practiced habits free mental bandwidth; when BAS clings to old ruts, it slows and obstructs our growth.
We optimize BAS when we pair stable facts with relevant meaning:
– when we teach or learn a new formula, and we connect it to a story or project so BAS stores it as useful wisdom, not rote clutter.
We use habit-stacking with small wins:
– to add a new healthy habit, such as a five-minute morning walk, we attach it to an existing BAS routine, such as placing walking shoes by our bed as a reminder to step outside for five minutes, celebrate the small win, and repeat. Over time BAS shifts comfort into growth.
We build gentle repetition with encouragement:
– for example we might practice praise to help BAS upgrade old routines into new, helpful ones for example, by practicing a new skill three minutes a day and marking progress.
What can we watch out for? BAS loves comfort and can lock in unhelpful ruts, stubborn habits, and rituals that block novelty. When BAS resists, we stop shaming ourselves through negative regrets and instead give guided, tiny experiments to invite growth and change.
SERO: our serotonin-hearted namungo teaches us joy, kindness, and steady wellbeing
SERO, nickname for our serotonin, is the quiet teammate that keeps our moods steady and upbeat, makes learning feel safe, and glues social goodwill together. It’s joy and kindness enrich our memory and curiosity to flourish.
How then do we optimize SERO on a daily basis?
We may design kindness-first settings: in meetings or classrooms. Let’s say we begin with a short, genuine encouragement or a small shared laugh so SERO’s goodwill helps us enjoy growth.
We make play and praise routine. When we practice new skills, we add short playful rounds and immediate positive feedback so knowledge sticks and confidence grows. We nurture social connection and simple rituals, shared walks, short gratitude rounds, or cooperative tasks, that boost SERO’s influence across the group.
What to watch out for? SERO’s gains can be fragile if we rely only on external approval. We make kindness habitual (internal + external) so the serotonin advantage becomes steady, not conditional.
PLAS: our plasticity namungo that reminds us “we can always grow”
PLAS, nickname for our neuro-plasticity, is the inner growth promise ally, showing that change is possible at any age; PLAS does most of its quiet rewiring during deliberate practice and during sleep where REM helps consolidate gains.
How do we optimize PLAS on a daily basis?
We practice with variety and meaning. instead of repeating the same drill, we vary contexts and apply the new skill to a small real problem so PLAS builds transferable circuits. For instance, we might try a new recipe or game plan to improve sequencing and memory.
We also respect sleep and recovery. For example, after a focused learning session we might prioritize a good night’s sleep so PLAS consolidates our newly configured wiring. Even short naps and consistent sleep cycles help here.
We also may take brave micro-steps. When old failures try to define us, we pick a tiny, hopeful experiment such as asking one curious question in a meeting, and repeat. PLAS grows from action you likely remember though, not just from wishing.
What might we watch out for? PLAS requires repetition plus rest. If we expect instant rewiring we may set ourselves up for discouragement. Instead, we keep expectations patient and celebrate incremental changes.
WM: our working-memory sparks the tiny scratchpad that makes ideas usable
WM, nickname for our working memory, is our small, powerful inner scratchpad where we hold a few ideas to use right away. It’s capacity is tiny but sturdy. WM loves immediate application; if we let facts stay unused they simply evaporate and are gone for good.
How we optimize WM on a daily basis?
We “act now” on fresh input, that keeps us current. In meetings or gatherings such as workshops, we pause after a new idea and spend two minutes applying it in a 2-minute sketch, or a quick pair-share, turning WM’s fleeting sparks into durable learning or solutions to a problem.
We offload and chunk. We create and use cheat-sheets, one-line reminders, or visuals so WM can juggle ideas instead of getting overloaded. For instance, we may keep three bullets for a task instead of a paragraph. We may design short, collaborative challenges, such as a 5-minute group puzzle that uses our WM productively and spreads learning through mutual modeling.
What might we watch out for? WM is tiny, so that long lectures, huge projects, and heavy multitasking drown it. When we shrink information into usable chunks WM helps us make immediate application non-negotiable.
CORT: our stress trickster, cortisol, that can shut us down unless we reduce it
CORT, nickname for our toxic cortisol, is the alarm system that, when overactive, locks creativity, replays regrets, and shuts curiosity down. In stressful situations we can default to choosing CORT the “trickster” before we know it. We decrease CORT by doing the opposite of what stress urges.
How do we lower and manage CORT?
We choose opposite actions of the misery or stress CORT causes. When stress urges blame or withdrawal, we intentionally act kindly, give a quick encouraging note, or offer help, these choices interrupt CORT’s loop and invite SERO’s calming chemistry.
We build low-stress practices. Instead of shame-based correction, for instance, we create safe “try-and-fail” micro-labs where mistakes are treated as data, not doom, so CORT’s alarms don’t hijack our healthy living, learning or leading. We may use physiological tools, such as a slow-breath pause, or a short walk. A social check-in also reduces CORT spikes fast and adds clarity.
What to watch out for? Chronic stress rewires things against us, so creativity and memory suffer. We make stress-reducing rituals, breath breaks, kind feedback, fair deadlines, as part of our day.
MYG: our amygdala mood shaper and keeper that stores emotional memory
MYG , nickname for our amygdala, holds moods and emotionally charged memories. When tamed, MYG steadies us and strengthens empathy. When untamed, MYG replays hurts and locks the mind into negative loops, that frames us as victims, not as victors.
How we optimize MYG for stable moods?
We might practice emotional naming and pausing. When a negative mood flares, we name it out loud. Admit we’re feeling frustrated, and we are more apt to take a 60-second reset so MYG doesn’t fossilize the negative or toxic reactions. Over time MYG learns different, healthier habits.
We feed MYG with possibility and affirming loops. Our regular acts of gratitude, forgiveness, and shared success stories create valuable emotional memories that MYG stores and replays, in ways that shape our improved future reactions. We may teach emotional micro-skills, simple moves such as pause-breathe, or ask a curious question to give MYG alternative pathways.
What to watch out for? We are careful not to ignore MYG’s wisdom because emotions matter. Yet we also want to prevent replay loops of shame, blame, or helplessness, by taming MYG through practicing small, repeated emotional habits that build resilience.
How we weave all six namungos into allies for wellbeing at any age through practical weaves and short checklists
When we act from a plan that honors each namungo, something steady and brave emerges. BAS helps our new rituals stick. SERO keeps our hearts steady. PLAS grows our capacity. WM makes practice usable. CORT stops hijacking our curiosity. MYG anchors our moods into strength. Here are simple daily moves we can do together to optimize the whole namungo family of six, into mental and emotional well-being.
Quick daily checklist in one-line actions we can keep
One tiny deliberate practice of 3–10 minutes, tied to a current routine → BAS + PLAS.
A 60-second buddy encouragement or laugh at the start of a session → SERO + MYG.
Act on one fresh idea immediately for 2 or more minutes → WM.
Pause-and-breathe when stress rises. Name the feeling and choose an opposite action such as kindness and curiosity → CORT + MYG.
Protect sleep and a short post-practice rest so PLAS consolidates gains.
These choices and actions will turn each namungo into a partner instead of an obstacle. By designing small, repeated, kind actions, paired with immediate use, social warmth, rest, and stress-interrupts, we invite BAS, SERO, PLAS, WM, CORT, and MYG to work together for learning, resilience, and joy at every age.
If we wait until trauma strikes before we call on our six namungos, we lose much of their natural power. In crisis, CORT floods us with stress, WM shrinks under pressure, and SERO dips, making it harder to think clearly or feel hope. By animating BAS, PLAS, WM, CORT, SERO, and MYG daily, we build resilience before storms arrive. Then, when challenges hit, our namungos already stand as practiced allies, ready to steady, re-frame, and renew us.
The namungo family simply gives us language to notice these brain forces and opportunities to create practical moves that guide brainpower into allies. Let’s keep practicing these tiny choices that create the biggest rewiring.