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Religion may protect your health, according to a new study.

New research reveals that religious people are healthier and take fewer sick days than atheists. Religious people also make less stressed and anxious employees.

Religion may help protect physical and mental wellbeing by offering a "buffer against strains of modern life," according to researchers.

Lead researcher Dr. Roxane Gervais, a British psychologist at the Health and Safety Laboratory in Stockport, discovered a negative correlation between religiousness and the likelihood of suffering anxiety, depression and exhaustion.

Researchers found that religious employees feel that they have more meaning in their lives compared to those who are not religious.

Researchers found that employees who attend religious services feel more contentment and stronger connections with a higher being.

"As the pace of work and life accelerates, people long for meaning, and the younger generation in particular is looking for more than just a big pay check at the end of the month," Gervais told The Telegraph.

"My research shows that religiosity in the workplace may act as a resource, making people more resilient to cope with the many challenges of working life," she said in a news release. "Such personal beliefs could be very helpful not only for employees, but also for employers providing people with a buffer zone," she added.

Gervais said the findings suggest that companies should be supportive and understanding of employees' beliefs.

The findings are were presented at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society's Division of Occupational Psychology's in Brighton.