Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Jesy Nelson is officially leaving British girl group Little Mix.
The 29-year-old singer confirmed her exit from the group in an Instagram post Monday.
Nelson reflected on Little Mix's success, calling her time with the girl group "the most incredible time" of her life. She said, however, that her involvement with the group has "really taken a toll" on her mental health.
"I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations vey hard," Nelson said. "There comes a time in life when we need to reinvest in taking care of ourselves rather than focusing on making other people happy, and I feel like now is the time to begin that process."
Nelson said she will focus on self-care and her next chapter.
"I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy," the star said. "I'm ready to embark on a new chapter in my life -- I'm not sure what it's going to look like right now, but I hope you'll still be there to support me."
"I want to say thank you to everyone involved in our journey. All the hard work and dedication that went into making us a success," she added.
"To every single fan who came to see us in concert, who listened to our songs and sung their hearts out, sent me messages and supported me along the way I want you to know I love you all so much and I could never have done this without you and I appreciate it endlessly."
Nelson ended by thanking her Little Mix bandmates, Jade Thirwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
"Most of all I want to say thank you to Jade, Perrie and Leigh-Anne for creating some of the most amazing memories I'll never forget," she said. "I hope that you'll continue to fulfil all of our dreams and keep on making music that people love."
Little Mix confirmed Nelson's exit in a tweet Monday.
"After an amazing 9 years together Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix. This is an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy," the post reads.
"We know that Jesy leaving the group is going to be really upsetting news for our fans. We love you guys so much and are so grateful for your loyalty and continued support of all of us. We're looking forward to seeing so many of you on tour."
Little Mix's publicist had announced in November that Nelson was taking an extended break from Little Mix for "private medical reasons."
Little Mix was formed during The X Factor U.K. Season 8 in 2011. The group released its sixth studio album, Confetti, this month.
