The most effect from of relaxation for me always involves a visual element and is usually something where there is a continual sense of movement and repeating pattern. It is as though, when my brain engages with the visual, the rest of me relaxes, I can literally feel the tension in my body releasing. I think I experience a break from 'feeling' or having to process emotions, which is part of what makes the visual so relaxing.
A couple of examples are
I also find being in an environment where there are
no large areas of plain flat surfaces eg a room with untextured, unadorned, plain coloured walls, more relaxing. So, being out in my garden or it natural surroundings, where there is alot of natural texture pattern and colour.
If I am overstimluated from social interaction, it takes time to relax and there is no one 'quick fix' relaxation technique but rather a variety of 'gear changes' than help me come down gradually. Lying down with a weighted blanket on me and watching a tv program that is perhaps a bit more stimulating than I would usually watch, is a good starting point. And then, interspersing my usual daily routine with a combination of the examples I have given above, will help bring me back to my normal level of functioning.
I have specific songs that I listen to for the purpose of calming any troubled emotions/ a troubled mind, all of which are worship music. I find finger picked guitar with minimal and unintrusive percussive accompaniment to be one of the most effective forms of relaxing worship music. Any sudden or harsh sounding noises in a music track prevent me from relaxing.
I also find being in the shower very relaxing, the sound of the water and the noise from the shower unit seem act as white noise and block out other sounds and I also find the sensation of the shower water relaxing. The pipe that connects the shower head to the shower unit is silver and has a spiral pattern on it which makes my brain happy
