She’s dancing away the baby blues.
For most people, signing up for a dance competition watched by millions of people less than three months after having a baby would be absolutely crazy — but for “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck, it may be the thing that keeps her from going crazy.
“I’m just excited and so grateful,” she told The Post, shrugging off the possibility of nerves ahead of her “Dancing With the Stars” debut.
“Something I’ve dealt with throughout all my pregnancies, and after my pregnancies, has been depression — so I’m grateful to have this opportunity, because I think it’s going to distract me from what I could be experiencing.”
“It’s a win-win because not only am I doing something I love, but I’m also exercising and avoiding those baby blues and everything you experience postpartum,” she went on.
“Through doing this, even though it’s a lot and I’m juggling a lot, I think I’m coming out a better version of myself and showing up as a better mom because of it.
“When you feel good, you do good. I feel like you can’t show up as the best version of yourself if you personally aren’t feeling good. It should be every mom’s priority to take care of themselves, to get that rest.
“It’s so important because you can’t pour from an empty cup. And I think it’s very important to fill your cup because then you’re able to give more. Feel good, do good — that’s my motto.”
Jen, 26, shares kids Nora and Lucas with her husband Zac — and the pair welcomed baby Penelope, whom they call Penny, in July.
Their baby announcement came the day after Hulu aired the reunion episode of “Mormon Wives,” where host Nick Viall revealed that Jen and her costar Whitney Leavitt had both been picked as contestants for season 34 of DWTS.
It meant a quick move from Utah to LA with her family, plus jumping into rehearsals at a time when many moms are still on maternity leave.
But Jen — who also recently teamed up with Bio-Oil on their Labor of Love campaign — said she’s making it work.
“I am just doing it,” she said. “I think as moms you just do it. Whatever the situation is, you just figure it out.”
As for her competition, Jen is pumped to team up with dancer Jan Ravnik to go up against Whitney and her dancer, Mark Ballas — and it’s “absolutely” more of a support system than a rivalry.
“At least on my end! Just kidding,” she said with a laugh.
“Having Whitney, knowing that she’s already a friend of mine and we work together — I think it’s just gonna make the experience even more exciting,” she said, adding that she’d be happy to do a duet with her reality TV pal.
“I’m not a professional dancer like a Whitney is. She actually has a dancing background … her degree is in dancing. So she is a pro, but for sure would still be down,” she said. “She’s got the professional background, and I’ve got the Latina background.”
Ultimately, her “dream scenario” is if it got down to just the two of them in the season finale.
“I think it would make this season even more legendary,” she said. “And I think no matter what, at least for me, if we both make it far, no matter who wins, it’s still a win-win.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
