You automatically know that spring break is approaching when you start to see more posts on your social media feeds about people wanting to work towards getting a "spring break body."

To those of you that don't know what this is, achieving a spring break body means working out and slimming down in order to have the perfect body to strut down the beach in your bikini and post quality spring break pics for Instagram.

Some people will devote an entire month or two before their spring break to achieve their goals of wanting to show off what they got by obtaining this physique.

But while I'm all for body positivity and wanting to look and feel your best, you don't need the typical spring break body to have a successful vacation.

When people think of a typical spring break body, they think of toned abs, legs, or any type of body that you would see on a fitness or modeling account. And while these are all things that everyone strives to have, sometimes they take longer amounts of time to achieve.

I don't like how spring break has suddenly become associated with having this physique, because its constant presence on social media is sending a message to younger ages that having this spring break body will be the only way to enjoy yourself on vacation, which isn't true at all.

It promotes the beauty standard that looking slimmer is better and beautiful, which also isn't true.

If you do want to look your best for your break, set realistic goals within the time that you have and that you know are possible to achieve. Don't stress yourself out and put yourself down for not being able to achieve these within this timeframe, because unless you devote your life to working out and slimming down 24/7, it's impossible and unhealthy to try and look this way.

Do what makes you feel comfortable, know what feels right, and if you don't end up reaching your goals, then remind yourself that it's okay.

Spring break should be about spending time with your friends or family in exotic locations making some of the best memories. You don't want to look back on your experience and only remember being obsessed with how you looked or believing that you weren't beautiful because you ultimately couldn't achieve the spring break body.

At the end of the day, the thing that matters the most is how comfortable and happy you feel with the people that you love and care about.

If you don't end up having the spring break body by the time of your vacation, don't blame yourself or think that your break is going to be awful. You don't need to be a certain size or look a certain way to be beautiful or to have fun on the beach.

Enjoy the time off that you have and don't take it for granted, because before you know it, you'll be back in your 8 A.M. lecture wishing you were back in the warm weather again.