relaxed recording...

What is the most relaxed way to record?  I mean guitar or any other instrument, including vocals.  I like recording guitar on a portable Zoom recorder for ideas...I can upload it and fit it to a time...I can even make it sound decent with a limiter...For a guitarist like me, I think this is probably a good solution to having to create in front of a live mic.  Of course, there are additional methods of relaxation, but just try turning the recorder on and just play and play...there will always be something salvageable...even if it sucks...especially if it sucks...Think of the first recordings made by The Who...they sucked, but they sucked in a good way...people are always trying to put us down...

For me the biggest factors in making the recording environment relaxed are a) doing it alone and b) completely ignoring the clock.
 
Try being relaxed and creative while watched through glass by six other people, one of whom is visibly annoyed by every re-take, two others are debating Metallica vs. Megadeth, and another is pacing because he's the one paying the hourly rate. 
 
My #1 self-relaxation technique: telling myself it doesn't matter if it gets done today.
 
 
 

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Oh, and make sure as you go you get your backer tracks up to snuff wherever possible.
 
Example: If you just plugged in a simple beat and/or bass line to write to but intend on fleshing them out more later... well once you get your parts "written" and have some decent test takes (I will generally comp together the best version of my first round of takes to work with) then get right in there and finish your rhythm section (or get it closer to what you envision the final product to be).
 
It's like a back and forth for me. Start simple with the rhythm section, flesh out the riffs/vox/other melody/ornamentation. Go back to the rhythm section and fancy it up based on what you wrote on top. Then go back to the guits/vox/keys/etc and fancy them up. Just back and forth until you have something you are happy with.
 
Then rerecord EVERYTHING for the final. At that point every note/beat/cadence/whatever will be drilled deep into your subconscious, your muscle memory will be wrapped around the tune and for any "improv" parts you'll be able to launch into them much more smoothly because you aren't getting all wound up in the back of your head about what's coming up next (or what you may have mucked up before).
 
I treat my "pre production work" as if I were rehearsing/writing with a band. Just constantly working out little nuances and getting more and more comfortable with the tunes.
 
Anyone who's played in live, gigging bands can tell you that after all the pre tour prep and then actually playing the material live night after night for x amount of weeks/months that once you get back home the songs/band will be RIDICULOUSLY tighter/stronger/more confident/relaxed. And that's exactly how I treat material I'm working on here by my lonesome now that my gigging days are over.
 
And some may say that for chaotic/ecclectic music that that approach sucks the spontaneity out of things. I think the opposite is true. To truly be able to slam out some freaky deaky crazy person music that ebbs and flows and harms the listener's soul it is much more effective if all players know exactly how the other band members are going to react to random changes on the fly. Like with free form jazz jams and the like.
 
I probably don't work or write like many others these days though so that may not be all that useful.
 
I just hate half arsing these things.

Lot of good responses here: foremost - proficiency...practice as much as possible...Also, I liked the post about letting people hear your stuff...I have stuff I did 15 years ago, remixed 10 years ago, and posted 5 years ago on another website. 
I've played very little live music, and I like to record alone...I keep getting into writer's block situations like I never did way back when...but I always end up going back to the guitar...Even with all the nice, new, creative vst's I have at my disposal, I still feel most free to create on the acoustic guitar.
 

I also like this idea for overcoming writer's block - set forth to write and record the worst possible piece of music you can manage...then keep doing it over and over...eventually you will learn the hard way...by your own mistakes...and it's kind of weird, because some of the best riffs have come from mistakes.

Oh that's who that is,,, I thought it was you!   

I find a good way to relax before recording is to actually listen to music for a good hour or so before your session.
I think this allows you to be subconsciously or consciously for that matter, to be listening to some really good production before you start.
 
This can help once you start recording to set levels, have a feel, and get into a vibe before you start.
 
Another thing I do is demo on Garage band with a cheap mic, to try and structure the song I want to record, so i have a plan when I come to record it properly in my home studio.
 
Hope this helps.