Psychological fitness is about two things: Having the energy and motivation to do the job for which you are appointed effectively, efficiently and safely. Energetic fitness is about "can do" factors meaning an employee has the mental physical and emotional energy to perform optimally; including acting safely. If continuous (on a daily basis) low levels of mental, physical, and emotional energy are experienced an employee becomes energetically unfit to perform optimally. Motivational fitness, on the other hand, is about "want to" factors meaning and employee finds significance and inspiration from his/her job and is motivated at a psychological level to function optimally. If continuous (on a daily basis) low levels of significance and meaning are experienced an employee becomes motivationally unfit to perform optimally.
People who lack energetic fitness simply feel unable to do their jobs properly while people who lack motivational fitness have lost the willingness to perform optimally (please note that motivational unfitness is not a choice but entails a deep psychological process as a reaction on certain stressors or high levels of energetic unfitness). It is quite possible to be fit in one of the areas and unfit in the other. Obviously, people who are both significantly energetically and motivationally unfit pose a bigger risk to safety, productivity and quality of work, especially if distress symptoms and physical and psychological ill health become evident.
Psychological fitness can be better understood if compared to physical fitness:
Physical Fitness
Psychological fitness
This is about your body: how strong it is and how hard and fast it can work.
This is about the mind: its thoughts and feelings about the work environment
This is not about physical illness. Of course illness can affect fitness, but “illness” describes something different from “fitness”. All people have a particular level of fitness at any point in time.
This is not about mental illness. Experiencing the various psychological states from time to time is perfectly normal and everybody does, it does not mean we suffer from a mental illness at all! Everybody has a measurable level of psychological fitness at any point in time.
A person’s state of physical fitness can change over time; this is what happens to an athlete who stops exercising. Something can be done about physical unfitness!
A person’s state of psychological fitness can also change over time. Something can also be done about physical unfitness!
There are different dimensions to physical fitness – endurance, flexibility, strength. Each can be measured separately, each can change separately, but together they make up physical fitness.
Psychological fitness also has its dimensions: To be fit you should have sufficient energy and motivations to do your job. These dimensions can be measured separately, each can change separately, but together they give a complete picture of psychological fitness.
In the workplace, there are risks associated with work for which a person is not appropriately physically fit. She may injure herself or damage equipment or simply not get the job done.
In the workplace, there are risks associated with work for which a person is not appropriately physically fit. She may injure herself or damage equipment or simply not get the job done.
Why is Psychological Fitness important?
The business case for psychological fitness at work is to optimise the potential of the workforce towards productivity and service excellence (business performance & growth), especially in terms of the following:
Work engagement and employee commitment to work
Staff performance and productivity
Staff turnover and intention to leave
Retention of skills as well as promotion of internal skills pool providing for a competitive edge
Organisational image and reputation
Attracting skills (people want to work for you)
Attendance levels
Minimising injuries and fatalities
Quality and Customer satisfaction
Potential litigation
There is also a moral reason why psychological fitness is important. To expect or even allow psychologically unfit people to work is simply immoral, just as it is in the case of physically unfit people.
Lastly, for most people who fall under the construction regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, it is illegal to work if you are psychologically unfit.
