Your morning routine matters. If you want to start your workday right every time, you have to figure out what works best for you to get you up and going. Everybody’s routine is different so while you can get ideas from online gurus, you have to figure out your own.

My favorite time of the day is the morning and I’ve done a lot to figure out what works best for me for a consistently solid start to my workday. Enhance your mornings using the tips below!

Get Your Body Moving!

This is my number one way to start my mornings! Getting that blood flowing first thing in the morning wakes you up, improves your mood throughout the day, and makes you more likely to make healthy choices during the day, among other great benefits!

Before coffee (and spending an hour staring at your phone) get in some exercise. If you live at a Camden apartment community then you know that you have a well-maintained gym that you can quickly get to and enjoy

If you don’t want to go to the gym, another suggestion I can make is to go for a walk or bike ride. If you want to go on a sunrise walk through Raleigh’s greenway system every morning then you should live at Camden Manor Park. There is an access point to the greenway on the edge of the community.

The North Carolina Museum of Art is located about five minutes away from Camden Asbury Village and has the most picturesque park with statues and other art throughout. Some days I’ll bring a cup of homemade cold brew and enjoy this amazing public space!

If you’re at Camden Durham or a future resident of our brand-new community, Camden Village District, then you’re in a wonderfully walkable area and have even more options for your morning stroll.

Photo courtesy of Camden Manor Park

Fuel Your Day with Breakfast

When I eat breakfast, I prefer to make it at home. I get whatever ingredients I can from the State Farmer’s Market. If you live in Raleigh and you haven’t been there, you are missing out! It is a great place to get fresh locally grown fruits, vegetables, meat, honey, etc. If you forgot to get your food the day before, they open early in the morning so you can still make breakfast before work!

If you don’t want to make your own meal, there are, of course, many options in the area for you to get a good breakfast in the area.

Speaking of the State Farmer’s Market, they have an incredibly popular restaurant in the area that uses food from the market itself. Big Ed’s in City Market in downtown Raleigh is a local favorite for classic southern food.

Mecca, also downtown, is Raleigh's oldest continuously operating restaurant. Visit it for a piece of local history.

Press, one of the newest restaurants in Raleigh, also has a Durham and a Graham location.

Grab a Coffee

As I said earlier, I often make my own coffee. It’s not difficult to find great local roasters to buy beans. Black & White, Larry’s, Full Bloom, 321, Cup-A-Joe, and Little Waves are just a few local resident favorites.

If you prefer to start your day at a coffee shop, I have a few recommendations for excellent coffee shops!

BREW in downtown Cary is close to Downtown Cary Park, which is a good place to go for a walk after or before your coffee. It’s also equidistant from Camden Asbury Village and Camden Westwood.

One of the most popular coffee shops in Raleigh, Morning Times, is downtown, has plenty of upstairs seating, and sells newspapers if you want to feel a little old school.

If you want to combine your morning walk with your coffee run, Idle Hour is a unique coffee shop about a 30-minute walk from Camden Village District or a 15 minute walk from Camden Carolinian. Make sure to try the Vietnamese coffee!

Beow’s Books & Brews is less than a 10-minute drive from Camden Overlook where you can buy books, enjoy coffee, tea, sandwiches, and if it’s late enough in the day, beer and wine.

Photo courtesy of Drew Swinford

Feed Your Brain - Read

Speaking of books, if you didn’t find any books you like at Beow’s, there are quite a few local bookshops in the area that you should check out instead of going to Amazon or Barnes & Noble if you want to support local businesses. Quail Ridge Books in North Hills, not far from Camden Overlook, is the biggest local bookshop in the area. Reader’s Corner on Hillsborough Street near NC State campus is a used bookstore with plenty of unique options. If you prefer to check out a book from the library, there are several locations throughout the area including one on Duraleigh Road near Camden Manor Park. Books are the perfect complement to spending time in a coffee shop, so make sure to plan ahead so you’re ready for the morning!

Find Your Routine

Even if you are a morning person, it can be difficult to get going every morning if you aren’t used to it. Start getting up just a little bit earlier every day or week until your body clock gets the program.

If you need something to look forward to, change up what you do so you aren’t doing the exact same thing every day. Vary your breakfasts, books, and where you go for walks. Also, you can vary where you go for walks seasonally! I always enjoy going on walks in summer mornings through the Sunflower Field at Dix Park just outside of Downtown Raleigh and through fall foliage at any given park.

Here are some other seasonal activities you can find in the summer and fall in the Triangle!