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.