The Calm Cockpit Podcast

Season 2 Bonus Episode

Monday Briefing 12

This briefing focuses on daily supplements and digital tools designed to enhance a pilot's mental clarity, physical recovery, and stress management. We all want to study, test, fly, and exercise better, but in today's world we are inundated with influencers telling us this special substance is going to solve all our problems.  Here are some Calm Cockpit suggestions on where to start, and how to cut through the noise.
 
Top Five Recommended Supplements (w/Links)

Creatine: Ranked as the top recommendation, it is highlighted for its mood-boosting potential and its ability to help build lean muscle and new neural pathways. While it can raise creatinine levels in blood tests, the host notes it does not necessarily indicate negative kidney function.

Ashwagandha: This root-based supplement is used to lower cortisol and stress levels, effectively "rounding the corners" of high-stress situations. Users should be aware of potential initial stomach sensitivity.

Nootropics (The Genius Brand "Consciousness"): Utilized specifically during high-intensity periods like check ride preparation or training, this formula contains ingredients like lion's mane and caffeine to boost focus and memory retention.

Protein: Recommended for physical recovery and mental clarity, especially when integrated with a regular exercise routine.

Green Drinks (Beyond Greens): A "superfood blend" used to supplement vegetable and nutrient intake for those who may not consume enough greens in their regular diet.

Supplementary Tools for Performance

Binaural Beats: Using the Brain Wave app, these sounds are played through headphones to assist with focus, memory, and sleep by affecting brainwave patterns.

Supplement Verification: The host uses the Supco app to scan supplement barcodes, which helps verify brand quality, check for natural ingredients, and identify potential negative interactions between different supplements.

Season 2 Episode 14

 

Grief is an inevitable part of life, but in aviation, it often remains unspoken. Whether it's the sudden loss of a colleague or the death of a loved one, grief can affect focus, decision-making, performance, and well-being in profound ways. In this episode, you'll learn how grief impacts the brain, why healthy compartmentalization is different from emotional suppression, and practical strategies pilots can use to stay grounded during difficult times. You'll also discover tools for managing grief bursts, supporting others through loss, and recognizing when it's time to step back from flying and prioritize healing.

 

Joining us is Nikki Smith, a death doula, grief coach, and host of the podcast Good Grief. Nikki specializes in helping individuals and families navigate end-of-life, loss, and bereavement with compassion and clarity. Together, we explore the unique challenges aviators face when coping with loss, the barriers that often prevent pilots from seeking support, and why acknowledging our mortality can ultimately help us live—and fly—with greater purpose and resilience.

 

Links:

 

Nikki Smith’s Website: Grief coaching, staff support, death doula services, blog, and resources on death and dying 

Good Grief with Nikki the Death Doula: the podcast dedicated to demystifying and de-stigmatizing grief with compassion and humor

 

Journaling Prompts for Pilots: these journaling prompts will help give you a concrete, private, and meaningful way to work through your grief. Provided to us from Nikki, download the PDF and try five minutes of journaling; it's a fantastic method and well worth your time.

Season 2 Bonus Episode

Monday Briefing 11

 

Your flight bag is full of tools to help you fly safely—but what about the tools that help take care of the pilot? In this Monday Briefing, we share three simple apps we think every pilot should have: Water Llama for staying hydrated, MyFitnessPal for understanding how you're fueling your body and brain, and Insight Timer for managing stress and training your nervous system. None are aviation apps, but all can help support better focus, decision-making, and overall performance.

The key isn't perfection—it's consistency. Just as you rely on checklists and instruments in the cockpit, these apps provide objective feedback that makes healthy habits easier to build. Pick one app, try it for a week, and see what you learn. Small daily actions can make a big difference in how you feel—and how you fly.

 

Links:

 

Water Llama: Water tracker app & drink water reminder app

 

My Fitness Pal 280 million users and counting: log food, track macros, identify nutritional content of food, track work outs, etc...

 

Insight Timer: simple and clean interface plus guided meditations, breath work, relaxations, and meditation courses

Season 2 Episode 13

 

Breathing is one of the few systems in the body that operates automatically while also remaining under conscious control, making it a powerful tool for pilot performance and resilience. This episode explores how breathing influences stress, focus, alertness, recovery, and sleep, and why it serves as a bridge between the demands of the external environment and a pilot’s internal state. Listeners will learn how posture and breathing mechanics affect oxygen exchange, why nasal breathing offers important advantages, and how shallow chest breathing can contribute to anxiety and reduced concentration.

 

The episode introduces three practical techniques pilots can use throughout the day: the Physiological Sigh for recovering from startle responses and high-workload moments, Coherent Breathing to improve heart rate variability and nervous system balance, and Triangle Breathing for downshifting after long duty days and preparing for restorative sleep. The conversation also explains the role of heart rate variability (HRV) in resilience and how regular breathing practice can help pilots maintain a healthy window of tolerance, enhance recovery, and improve overall performance. Whether used before a flight, after exercise, or at the end of a demanding day, these simple, evidence-informed practices provide accessible tools for flying smarter and stressing less.

 

Links:

21 Day Hatha Yoga Challenge 2026—Over the course of these 21 mornings, we’ll explore postures, breathwork, and simple awareness practices to reconnect with the body, clear the mind, and establish a steady, supportive rhythm.

 

Five minute breathing exercise from the Huberman lab

 

How to retrain your breathing: from the University College, London hospitals NHS

 

Wim Hoff Method: breathing, cold exposure, and mindset

 

Yoga with Adrienne full playlist of breathing practices

Season 2: Bonus Episode

Monday Briefing 10

 

In this Monday Briefing, you'll discover why self-care is not a luxury or a reward for surviving a stressful week, but the foundation of a healthy, resilient, and meaningful life. You'll learn a practical definition of self-care that goes beyond the stereotypes of the wellness industry and focuses instead on the daily routines that provide maintenance of your body, mind, and emotions.

This episode offers a simple framework for building sustainable habits that support better decision-making, stronger relationships, and safer flying. You'll come away with a clear understanding of why small, consistent actions—like sleep, movement, nourishment, nervous system regulation, and meaningful connection—matter more than grand gestures, along with practical ideas for creating a self-care routine that fits into real life.