Does the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show give you self-doubt about your self-image?

It is said that how you react to most things in life ultimately depends on whether you are an optimist or a pessimist. And for a woman, watching the Victoria's Secret fashion show is one of the most critical events when it comes to gauging self-esteem.

A global event, the show, which takes place every year in London, Paris, Shanghai and Los Angeles, features some of the world's biggest supermodels wearing incredible, dazzling, fleshly underwear on a $12 million runway.

As the most glamorous stage in the fashion industry, appearing in the big show is the pinnacle of a model's career on the runway, the legend of the modeling industry, Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum and Miranda Kerr, among others, all made appearances at the Victoria's Secret show.

But it's not just the models who are indulging in the Victoria's Secret rhapsody. Women all over the world love it: some 800 million people around the world watch the big show. Verity Clark, 28, from London, threw a party for her girlfriends on the night of the Victoria's Secret show. "We love this show!" She said, "No one can calmly watch this show, because it is more interesting than a normal fashion show. The best thing is you can see all the girls on the runway are happy to be there."

However, the buzz about the Victoria's Secret show wasn't all positive: The stage, the hair and makeup, and of course the lingerie, have always been designed to celebrate a certain kind of beauty, the kind that can only be achieved through extreme hard work, self-dedication and a healthy, lucky genetic gift of toned bodies, glowing skin and extremely long (and graceful) limbs.

Far from being an empowering show for women, many of the women who watched saw it as the product of a narrow, male-dominated view of female beauty. While the study, published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal, found "little evidence" that being exposed to images of perfect bodies made women feel bad about themselves, it also suggested that "appearance-related messages were more likely to trigger weight-loss thoughts."

In addition, a study from Flinders University in Australia last year found that the more women were exposed to "ideal" bodies, the greater their dissatisfaction with their bodies. In the study, 106 female college students were exposed to the ideal of being thin, athletic and muscular. A third of these women said the sporty and thin ideal image led to body dissatisfaction.

At the end of the day, it's all about how you choose to let the show affect you. The "self-care" movement begins with the elimination of negative feelings and self-esteem, especially in the area of personal appearance. The campaign has garnered the biggest response on social media, which is a bit ironic because it started in part as a reaction to the endless "Insta-perfect" images on the web.

Here's the thing: It's a lot easier than you think. Generally speaking, self-care is a way of putting yourself first by learning not to compare yourself to others and not trying to live up to unrealistic expectations.

First, it's important to realize that Victoria's Secret's approach to health and fitness is not "real." Victoria's Secret model Kylie Gale's pre-show regimen includes "four to five hours of walking, one to two hours of intense exercise, 90 minutes of massage, and the occasional 45-minute infrared sauna session." It's the equivalent of a full-time job, and for these women, modeling is a full-time job.

Liz Hambleton, global creative director of beauty treatment salon Treatwell, considers herself a big fan of the Victoria's Secret show: "I don't get frustrated or depressed by the models and their perfect bodies. I don't compare myself with them; I don't have the limbs or the looks that I was born with. Plus, we all know they work out like crazy to get to that level."

"We make the mistake of thinking that love is just that kind of romantic love," says Nadia Narain, co-author with her sister Katia Narain-Phillips of "Real World Self-Observation." "That's why self-love and self-care in love is such a big deal; This type of love is the emotion that you can always be sure of and that will support you no matter what."

Narain, who teaches yoga by profession to Kate Moss and Sienna Miller, became increasingly concerned about the lack of self-care practice among the women she saw in her classes, most of whom believed that self-care meant making huge and radical lifestyle changes.

There are simple ways we can practice more self-love. Narain suggests that a good way to start is simply to focus on yourself by "checking in with yourself regularly and figuring out what you need."

You can also do something for your body and mind: whether it's exercise or rest, a massage or a bath.

"How we feel about our appearance is completely filtered out by how we feel. When we feel good, we like ourselves. Keep doing things that make you feel good."

When things are stressing you out, ask yourself: What would it feel like to love and care for yourself in this moment? Self-care can be brief or light. Send a text message to a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Buy a new lipstick. Put on your headphones and play a song you like.

Experts believe that exercise is a great act of self-care because it releases endorphins that make us feel good and also helps improve our body image. It's not about exercising eight hours a day, Victoria's Secret Angel style, but doing something you enjoy, like some yoga stretches or jogging around the park.

Critically, the Flinders University study also found that viewing "images of bodybuilding ideals" did not actually motivate study participants to engage in higher levels of exercise. This suggests that while physical motivation is one thing, the type of exercise we want to engage in often falls within our comfort zone.

So let's watch Victoria's Secret for what it is: a fantasy, a spectacle, a made-up moment. It's all in the word angel: a soul from heaven, a perfect, untouchable, heavenly being. It is unreal and has both good and bad sides.

Finally, let's remember that self-care starts with wanting what's best for yourself. Shouldn't this also extend to the brands we choose? At the end of the day, you get to vote on how you feel about Victoria's Secret.

Consumer activism has never been more present in our lives, and it essentially means that if you don't like the idea of a brand, you don't have to buy it. Thinking of every product you buy as a "vote" for a brand and an endorsement of its brand will provide consumers with powerful power to spend our money on brands that align with our own beliefs.

Just enjoy the show for what it is. Then go back to living the best version of yourself.