Chanel Iman Says It Was ‘Disappointing’ to Be Sent Home from “Special Forces, ”Is Not Sure ‘I Would Do It Again’ (Exclusive)

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test lived up to its name, according to Chanel Iman.

The model, 34, exited the competition on the latest episode of the hit series, in which celebrity recruits participate in military-style challenges that take place on intense terrain. While she tells PEOPLE it felt discouraging to have to leave in that moment, she is proud that she pushed herself out of her comfort zone.

“It was a little disappointing to just not be able to get through to the next challenge, but when I was watching it, I was like, ‘Okay, well maybe it wasn’t that bad to go home,’ ” Iman admits. “I remember feeling like, how am I going to get through this? I’ve got to find some type of strength to do it. So yeah, I think that was a little disappointing, but it was an overall incredible experience in my life.”

“I don’t know if I would do it again, but I always give one thing a try,” she continues. “If it doesn’t work out, everything’s worth one try and then you can say, ‘I did that.’ And Special Forces, for me, was something that I’m very proud to do.”

Going into the competition, Iman says she didn’t know what to expect, especially when it came to how physically taxing the tasks were on her body.

“I didn’t know that it was going to be so intense, and it was so raw and so real — there was no type of glam,” she says. “Even when I got blisters on my hands, I had to figure out how to wrap it up myself. My survival skills clicked on quick. I’m so used to a full-on production and some assistants, but we just had each other — me and the cast and that was it.”

“I needed a break the whole time,” she adds. “But physically, not really mentally. It was just like I was so locked in that I was just mentally there.”

Iman was filming the show in Africa for two weeks, and she reveals the journey started off on a rough note when she got food poisoning on day two. By the time she tapped out, she admits she didn’t know what she was feeling.

“I was just so exhausted at that point that I was just emotional,” Iman recalls. “I was just drained and I was like, ‘Am I happy or am I sad?’ ”

She also notes that it was difficult to be so far from her family. As a mother to three children, whom she shares with husband Davon Godchaux, not being able to even make a phone call back home posed another obstacle.

“I had to kind of go back to think about, ‘How would my husband handle this?’ Or, ‘What would he say to encourage me to get through?’ Or, ‘What has he taught me in order to stay calm and focused?’ ”

She says their reunion after her elimination “was the best,” and she immediately “broke down in tears.”

Looking ahead, Iman is focusing on her family and her lifestyle brand, Chasa. 

“I’ve poured my heart and soul into building all of its creations and it is just something that has really taken my mind,” she gushes. “I really am inspired just by my experiences in my life and where I’ve been and just creating a home no matter where I was in the world.”

Iman adds, “I love interior decorating and building a home for my family. So, the home space was just perfect for where I am in life today. I just wanted to create timeless pieces that just give a bit of warmth in everyday life. It’s something that I’m proud of.”

As the holiday season approaches, Iman reveals the brand is preparing to launch a special new collection of “the most comfortable, softest, coziest pajamas.”

“Pajamas have always been a family tradition of just wearing the yummiest pajamas before Christmas,” she shares. “These pajamas that I’ve designed are just timeless and effortless and you can wear them all year round. We spend most of our time — half of our lives — in pajamas. So pajamas were a priority to make sure that we create or develop something that was perfect for the collection.”

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Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.