Leah Messer is opening up about her breakup with ex-fiancé Jaylan Mobley for the first time.
As she continues to work through the split, the Teen Mom star exclusively tells PEOPLE she's "doing great."
"The beginning of my breakup, it was difficult. But there's a healing process, there's a grieving process after any breakup," the reality star, 30, says. "You form an attachment with someone and a connection, and you get to grieve that if that relationship doesn't align."
Adds Messer: "But I'm excited to spend the holidays with my daughters and continue to do what we do as a family."
The MTV star made her relationship with Mobley Instagram-official in September 2021. PEOPLE then broke the news of their engagement in August. Their split was confirmed two months later.
In a joint statement addressing the breakup, Messer and Mobley said they were choosing to "move forward as friends." They also said they'd "forever have love and respect for each other."
One thing that's been beneficial to Messer post-split is understanding the importance of self-care.
"I think self-care for everyone looks completely different," she explains. "So if it's a spa day, if it's meditating, if it's hiking, really the way that I ground myself is through Earth. Whether that's taking walks or hiking, or I really love spa days too. And music — music feeds my soul. It just does."
As a mother of three daughters, it's extra crucial for Messer to continue to make herself and her needs a priority.
"I think it's so important that we take time out for ourselves, and have a good support system and your friends," she says. "I think it's huge."
Part 2 of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter's season 2 reunion airs Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. on MTV.
