I was a christian for 26 years and was used to praying through the hard times to feel better. Now that I don't believe there is a god out there in control of everything, I've had to come up with other ways to de-stress. Sometimes I just remind myself of how far I've come and what I've been capable of. Sometimes I take deep breaths. How do you de-stress when things are tough?
Listen to Solfeggio Frequencies, Theta waves, Hypnosis. Also close your eyes and do nothing but focus on your breath for 3 minutes. At the end of 3 minutes you will be completely relaxed
The best way for me to de-stress is to do one of two things, or both together. I make a conscious choice to stop thinking about whatever has stressed me, but I first must resolve the stress-trigger as best I can. The best thing for me is to spend time with my dogs. They are about a 400 year old breed, and have been called "comfort spaniels" because they are incredibly good at offering comfort, as they are intuitive and empathetic, not to mention soft and cuddly! Just the act of hugging and cuddling is calming, but brushing or stroking the dogs can do the same thing. I can take that time to move my mind to more pleasant subjects...
Maybe go out and drink with friends. The friends part is important since hopeful the situation will be fun and alcohol if used in a safe manor can be a pretty good distressor but it can easily turn into a depressor if your not careful.
I think everyone else covered most of the ways to distress.