Naser Mohammadkhani celebrating his birthday in homeland

“It’s not you, it’s me.” Whether or not your partner says this, it’s probably true if he or she seems emotionally unpredictable. “There will be happy times, stressful times, focused times and even sad times,” English says. “It’s important for the non-athlete to know that this is normal for athletes.” Over time, you’ll learn what to expect, what emotional cues to look out for and how best to respond.