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August is National Wellness Month and a North Dakota health expert said if your busy life makes you feel run down, there might be simple approaches to improved well-being you are leaving out.

Maren Dockter, a physician assistant at Balance Medical, a women's health clinic in Bismarck, said people might think they are getting enough sleep each night but it often is not "quality sleep," which makes them feel refreshed the next day. If possible, she suggested stopping the use of electronic devices about 60 minutes before bed. Instead, the time should be used for a solid routine to help make you sleepy.

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"Whether it's you sit down with a cup of tea and a book, or you take a shower and wash your face," Dockter outlined. "All those things kind of in an order that starts to tell your brain at night, 'Oh, we're winding down.'"

Dockter also recommended taking a closer look at your diet to make sure you are not cheating yourself of key nutrients. She mentioned iron as an example, with foods like leafy green spinach as a key source. She added everyone should try to drink 60 fluid ounces of water each day.

Dockter noted women often put others' needs before their own, negatively affecting their well-being. Health researchers reported women have historically been misunderstood or sometimes ignored by the health care community.

Dockter stressed the long-standing barriers shouldn't deter patients from speaking up.

"People will start their sentences with, 'I'm sorry if this is too much information, but,' and I always laugh and say there is no such thing as too much information in a women's clinic or a clinic in general," Dockter emphasized.

Dockter acknowledged depending on the demands facing a provider, they might have heavy patient loads on a regular basis, making it hard to extend their time with each person. But she underscored it is a reminder for health care professionals to value the time with each patient and keep an open ear about their concerns.