“I’m doing everything that I can to stay healthy and watch the warning signs because man, I learned a lot going through that,” she tells PEOPLE

Emily Ann Roberts. Photo: John Shearer

Emily Ann Roberts was smack in the middle of the Blake Shelton tour earlier this year when she received news that scared the heck out of her.

“Basically, the doctor told me, ‘If you sing tonight, and you hemorrhage, you’re out for six months,'” Roberts, 25, remembers during a recent interview with PEOPLE. “And I was like, ‘Well, that’s not an option.'”

Indeed, there was no way The Voice standout would ever put her already successful 2024 in jeopardy just to be able to sing through a bout of laryngitis. And now as she continues tour with Jamey Johnson, Roberts says she is making some changes.

“I do my warmups and I try to drink a whole lot of water because that helps big time,” explains Roberts, who will reunite with Shelton in Minnesota on Aug. 25. “And then, I am trying to keep my mouth shut!” She laughs. “I’m trying not to talk all the time. People think singing wears out your voice, but really, talking is much harder on your vocal cords.”

Today, Roberts says she is “feeling totally back” to herself.

“I’m doing everything that I can to stay healthy and watch the warning signs because man, I learned a lot going through that,” she remarks. “If it ever rears up its head again, I’ll be able to know what to do to combat it and not let it get so bad.”

That’s good news certainly, as Roberts says she is currently “writing and working” on her next project. “I’m kind of coming back to writing songs that I love and sharing things that I love, not for any motive other than, ‘Hey, this was on my heart, and I want to share it with you,'” she says. “It doesn’t have to be some fancy thing. I’m just sharing some of the stuff that’s coming out of me right now.”

Roberts has also been able to take some time to enjoy the release earlier this year of the deluxe version of her career-altering debut album Can’t Hide Country, which includes three brand new songs, including the ultra-vulnerable “When I’m Gone.”

“I had just gone to my father’s cousin’s funeral,” Roberts says of the stirring song she wrote alongside Autumn McEntire, whose aunt is Reba McEntire. “He died unexpectedly. And I just remember sitting in that service and his daughter and his son and his wife and his friends and family all got up and they spoke about his life. And I thought, you know what? They didn’t say a word about his job or how many awards he had or how much money he made. They didn’t talk about any of that. And it stood out to me so much.”

fact, Roberts refers to it as her very own wake up call.

“I love my job and while my career is such a major part of my life, it should not be my whole life,” she says quietly. “We’re not going to be here forever, so we ought to start living for the things that matter most.”

Such as enjoying her new kitchen.

“It’s a Barbie dollhouse kitchen and its green and pink and it’s so cute,” remarks Roberts, who bought her first house with husband Chris Sasser over a year ago. “I always wanted to redo the kitchen, but that’s a big project. But when I left for the back half of the Shelton tour, Chris texted me after I left and said he was going to try to have this kitchen completely done by the time I got back.”

Little did she know that her high school sweetheart husband would become an even bigger YouTube and TikTok star, as he shared the entire remodeling journey on their “Sasser House” socials.

“He did really good,” admits the Tennessee native with a laugh. “It was so thoughtful. He had told me he had been looking through my Pinterest, seeing different stuff that I had saved for inspiration. I mean, that’s genius.”nother inspiration for Roberts has always been her country music comrade Dolly Parton, who seems to be one that everyone compares her to.

“It is surreal and it’s strange because I look up to her so much,” she concludes. “Ain’t nobody going to fill Dolly’s shoes, Dolly’s bra, Dolly’s personality. Nobody can do it, but Dolly!” She laughs. “So, in one way, it’s a massive compliment. I look up to her so big, but if anybody’s going to compare me to anybody, it’s a blessing to be compared to her.”