CIMA Law Group Blog

How Serious Can a Shopping Addiction Be?

Most wouldn’t consider a shopping addiction an addiction at all, let alone anything serious. Retail therapy doesn’t strike many as a concern. However, there is indeed a difference between occasional leisure shopping and a shopping addiction. If shopping habits become extreme, it may qualify as a clinical behavioral disorder.

Such behaviors become problematic when an individual compulsively buys new things regardless of whether or not they can afford them. Even if an individual is facing financial difficulties, the negative effects of their behaviors do not stop them continuing them.

The emotions experienced during compulsive shopping such as the urge to buy, the loss of control, and short-term positive feelings are similar to a drug addiction. Someone with a shopping addiction experiences the same type of rush or high as someone who abuses drugs. The brain associates shopping with pleasure and attempts to recreate it over and over again.

Currently, mental health providers do not recognize compulsive buying as a diagnosable disorder due to a lack of diagnostic criteria. However, many do consider it a behavioral issue. Some professionals have noted that shopping addiction may be a sign of other mental or behavioral disorders such as anxiety, mood, and eating disorders.

It’s important to note which factors may contribute to a shopping addiction. Making purchases can be gratifying as this releases endorphins, distracting us from uncomfortable emotions. Stress and anxiety are significant variables here, where individuals may shop to help them cope with these feelings as well as to feel a sense of control. If someone is feeling stressed after a long week of work, they may purchase a piece of clothing online to make themselves feel better, to have something to look forward to.

https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/behavioral-addiction/what-is-retail-therapy-shopping-addiction
https://www.everydayhealth.com/emotional-health/what-is-shopping-addiction/

How Water Can Reduce Anxiety and Stress

There’s something about being in or around water that does something positive for you, even if you can’t pinpoint it. It turns out, water can be used as a therapy for stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation and feelings of calmness and being at ease. Being surrounded by the ocean, a lake, river, or any other blue space can enhance mental wellness. More people should be aware of all the ways water can help and take advantage.

The ways in which water provides a soothing, calming experience is through the five senses, which are critical to how we perceive the world. This is why and how the sensory effects of water have such an impact on our psyche. The sights, sounds, and smell of water can create a unique state of mind.

Water also gives us a sense of awe, such as when thinking of the vastness of the ocean. This makes us feel as though we’re a part of something bigger, putting our individual superiority to the side and discouraging self-interest in the worst ways. It promotes outward thinking and prosocial behaviors, improving empathy and humility.

Specific therapies such as water-based physical activity like hydrotherapy is the use of water for pain therapy, and can be very useful for certain individuals. For the mental, water can promote relief from anxiety. Activity in the water “releases endorphins; the natural feel good hormones that lead us to experience a greater sense of happiness and wellbeing.” Regular water activity can even “lead to a 30 percent improvement in self-worth, increasing general satisfaction in life.”

https://www.sokyahealth.com/mood/the-science-behind-how-just-being-near-water-can-help-mental-health-even-virtually/
https://www.aquastudiony.com/journal/2019/12/22/how-water-can-improve-your-mental-health

How Much do Appearances Matter in Job Interviews?

Does looking well groomed, presentable, and hygienic make you more likely to get the job? Is it an indicator that if a person puts effort into their look, that’s how much effort they’ll put into their work? I’d like to think so.

The right qualifications, skills, and experience for the job can get someone far. However, not dressing appropriately for the interview may signal a lack of respect for yourself and those you are meeting with. Dressing formally shows that you “are serious about the job, respectful of the interviewer’s time and are genuinely interested in this position. It also demonstrates an understanding of the corporate culture and showcases you as someone who would fit easily into the workplace dynamic.”

The right clothing indicates professionalism in addition to boosting confidence. It is best to avoid negative distractions such as wrinkly, stained, or ripped pieces, or even the wrong color of clothing. The majority of companies have a dress code that they expect all employees to follow. Before going to the interview, it would be advisable to try to find out what the dress code is for the company.

Being well-groomed tells the interviewer that this person pays attention to detail, and that they take care of themselves. If an individual does not take the time to look after their own basic hygiene, that sends a signal that you will not make an effort as an employee. Good grooming for interviews includes good hygiene. Showering before the interview and applying deodorant is good practice. Virginia Tech advises against using any scented products like perfume when getting ready for a job interview because some people in the workplace may be sensitive to scents. Having your hair styled or cut a couple days before the interview is a good idea. Ensure nails are trimmed, clean, and manicured if applicable.

A clean and neat professional appearance is important in making a good first impression in a job interview. You want to be the kind of person the company wants to represent them. Looking neat, put together, and organized can greatly help in attaining a dignified look and gaining respect from colleagues. It shows how you carry yourself and who you are as an individual.

https://www.getthatcv.net/post/appearance-in-an-interview
https://www.conovercompany.com/interviewing-physical-appearance/
https://work.chron.com/importance-being-well-groomed-interview-2028.html

The Importance of Sun Protective Measures

As warmer weather approaches, many are eager to begin their ritual of laying out in the sun for a few hours in their pursuit of a bronzed look. But what many are unaware of is that tanning is a sign of skin damage. When the skin color is darkened as a result of excessive sun exposure, it is evidence of DNA injury to your skin. What’s crucial to know is that there is no such thing as a healthy or safe tan.

The mechanisms of tanning are as follows. Tanning is caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun that causes genetic damage to cells on the outermost layer of skin. The skin, in an attempt to prevent further injury, produces melanin which causes skin darkening, or a tan. Most importantly, this increases the risk of skin cancer. Each time the skin tans, the damage accumulates. This creates a greater risk for genetic mutations.

This is why it is alarming when individuals, especially younger people see the first sunny day after a long and cold winter and decide they’re going to spend the day tanning. Such individuals believe they look and feel much better with a tan. It is a nonchalant and normalized yet dangerous practice, something virtually everyone engages in at some point. Worryingly, adolescents and young adults are seeing a dramatic increase in rates of melanoma.

The best thing to do is to avoid tanning entirely, as it is the best way to decrease the risk of skin cancer. This includes wearing sunscreen daily, wearing sun-protective clothing, and seeking shade from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when UV radiation is the most intense.

https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/tanning/
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/base-tan-debunk#How-to-protect-your-skin
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-5345-5

The History and Future of Texas as a Swing State

Texas has had a long history as a red state. Since the 1976 election, when Democratic President Carter won 51 to 48, Texas has voted Republican in all of the following presidential elections. However, while Texas seems like an ideal Republican state, it has not always been this way and has recently been viewed as a potential swing state. This rhetoric was popularized in the 2020 elections when margin between the Republican and Democratic vote was 5.5 percentage points. This is compared to a 9-point margin in 2016 and a 15-point margin in 2012.

This new characteristic of Texas politics has little to do with Republicans moving left on the political spectrum and more to do with the changing demographics of the state. Large cities Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and El Paso have a lot of democratic voters and these areas have grown rapidly in the past few years. Moreover, many long-time city residents have moved out to areas like Fort-Worth and have turned the suburbs less red. Right now, political scientists predict that if the state continues to shift by three points every election cycle, the state will be Democratic by 2028 latest. However, mid-size cities and rural areas remain unchanged, making moving to the left difficult for Texas.

Moreover, voter mobilization has also become more effective in Texas. Asian-Americans, African- Americans, and Hispanics have all become more mobilized since 2016 and their turn out has shown that there is a large percentage of eligible voters who do not vote in Texas. With all these changes, Texas will be an interesting state to follow in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.

Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop

Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop, located on the outskirts of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, is a small, local pizza joint on the outside, but also serves as a disco/retro speakeasy on the inside.

At a casual glance, Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop appears to be an ordinary restaurant. But once you step inside this slice shop and venture beyond the kitchen, you’ll discover something unexpected behind what seems to be a kitchen/freezer door. The true revelation is that it houses a secret speakeasy, dance club, and pinball bar, which has become a hidden gem that has captivated the curiosity of over 270,000 TikTok users.

Since its establishment in 2019, the restaurant doesn’t exactly conceal its “secret” backroom (the bar even maintains its own Instagram page @stardustpinbar). Nevertheless, it becomes evident that individuals on TikTok from beyond the borders of Phoenix were completely unaware of such an extraordinary discovery.

Platform 18

Platform 18 Bar in Phoenix, Arizona is the place to be for an amazing night out! It’s like stepping into a secret speakeasy with a modern twist, with the main bar area being in a train car. The vibe is cool and classy, with cozy seating and moody lighting setting the mood. The bartenders here are true cocktail wizards, whipping up a fantastic range of drinks that will blow your mind. Whether you’re a cocktail connoisseur or just dipping your toes into the mixology world, Platform 18 Bar has got you covered with their awesome selection of both classic favorites and creative concoctions. Get ready to have your taste buds tantalized and your thirst quenched in this awesome spot where every sip is a celebration of deliciousness and artistry!

Title 8

Last week Title 42 was dismissed which caused a lot of uncertainty at the Mexican-American Border. After seeing thousands of migrants standing at the border for days, the United States started enforcing Title 8 to try to control everything happening in these border states.

What is Title 8? Title 8 is a policy passed on October 14, 1940, and this title does not allow migrants who were deported to come back to the United States for five years. This title started to be used again after Title 42 was dismissed. Many migrants have been deported and flown back to their home country or other countries like Mexico. Recently, there have been over thousands of Venezuelans, Guatemalans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and many other countries on these deportation flights. The United States is recommending applying for asylum online to avoid being deported and banned from the United States for five years. What is Title 8?

This or That: What Breaks a Political Campaign.

With the 2024 elections right around the corner, it wouldn’t hurt to review the failures of various political campaigns. In elections, campaigns are the way politicians market themselves to voters and showcase their platforms.

One campaign mistake politicians make is not providing enough information. Oftentimes, politicians will reach voters that already have an interest in politics and are already informed. However, by not providing enough information, politicians do not mobilize many voters. For example, women are 2.9% less likely to know about a popular political news story than men. Also, Hispanics are 3.4% less likely to know about a common news story than white voters.
Another mistake is not mobilizing young voters. Sometimes failed mobilization for voters between 18-35 is because of a bad campaign. However, sometimes it is because the candidate does not appeal to young voters. To appeal to young voters, candidates need to campaign on issues like climate change, social justice, worker’s rights, and racism. For example, discussion about covid-19 prevention created a surge of young voter turnout because this was a very relevant topic for young voters. College aged voters delt with the pandemic and navigating school. Mid-twenties voters delt with putting their children through online school and getting laid off from their jobs because they were often less experienced than their coworkers 40 years or older.
Another campaign mistake is campaigning on exclusive issues or not knowing how to mobilize the right voters. For example, Bernie Sander’s failed to mobilize African American voters by not attending key events and visting areas with these voters.

Top 5 Books On My Spring 2023 List

With Summer just around the corner and Spring nearing a close, here are my top 5 favorite books I’ve read since March

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow By Gabrielle Zevin – “In this exhilarating novel, two friends–often in love, but never lovers–come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.”

This book is well worth the recognition that it’s received since its debut in 2022. Within the first year of release, the book has won the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction, the Book of the Month Club’s Book of the Year, Amazon’s #1 Book of the Year, Time Magazine’s #1 Book of the Year, and was an NYT Notable Book. The writing is brilliant in a way for which I lack the words, but warning: you will cry just as hard as you laugh.

A Secret History By Donna Tartt – “Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. But when they go beyond the boundaries of normal morality they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, and at last—inexorably—into evil.”

This incredible work of dark fiction was published in 1992, but I only just finished reading it this year. This book differs from the others in this list, as it is one of the darkest books I’ve ever read. While works of fiction by Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, and Bram Stoker rule the world of horror fiction, (in my opinion) Donna Tartt writes psychological thrillers like none other. A Secret History disgusted and delighted me in a similar way to Fitz-Gerald’s The Great Gatsby, and I am amazed by Tartt’s ability to critique and villainize the pursuit of aesthetic and wealth in such a well-paced and beautiful novel. I finished this book in March, but I still think about it almost daily.

Why Fish Don’t Exist By Lulu Miller – “Part biography, part memoir, part scientific adventure, Why Fish Don’t Exist reads like a fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail.”

This unexpectedly delightful book follows the story of taxonomist David Starr Jordan as Miller delves into Jordan’s history, including his climb to power and the sins he committed in order to retain it. This sobering book works to not only arm us against the inevitability of chaos but find beauty in it. Not only is this book a life-changing narrative, but it’s also a reminder that we will never find true, unshakable order and that fish don’t, in fact, exist. If you’re feeling especially lost in your search to find meaning, read this book. It’s a great reminder that success and failure are equally temporary.

The Anthropocene Reviewed By John Green – Unlike the others, a quote about this book doesn’t do it any justice; so here is a quote from the book: “For me anyway, to fall in love with the world is to look up at the night sky and feel your mind swim before the beauty and the distance of the stars. It is to hold your children while they cry and watch the sycamore trees leaf out in June. When my breastbone starts to hurt, and my throat tightens and tears well in my eyes, I want to look away from feeling. I want to deflect with irony or anything else that will keep me from feeling directly. We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what there is to feel while I am here.”

Yes, it’s a long quote, but it shines a small light on John’s intention throughout this book. Part memoir, part history, part collection of beautiful literary references, this book feels like a first step to loving the world. On days when things are especially hard, this book makes loving the world easy. John Green’s work has an unmatched ability to shift one’s view of the human-centered world. I give The Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.

Nothing To See Here – By Kevin Wilson – “Kevin Wilson’s best book yet—a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with remarkable and disturbing abilities.”

I never thought that I would feel so many warm and fuzzy feelings towards a book about spontaneous combustion, but here we are. Wilson has a knack for imaginative genius. His books are odd, yes, but delightfully so, and unlike most fiction you’ll have ever read. From start to finish, this book’s witty and strange nature will keep you on your toes and make you feel incredibly guilty for complaining about the heat. The ending was surprising in the most spectacularly smug way. I recommend reading it by the pool just in case you, like our young protagonists, find yourselves aflame.