The curative powers of curation...
During my first 1000 things project, I discovered that I did more than just accumulate stuff; I collected it. In effect, I had my own personal Smithsonian: collection after collection of stuff, as if I was running a small-scale museum commemorating my home, family, and life.
I also learned that collecting without a purpose is better called grasping -- the urge to collect and hold on to things for a variety of reasons, or for no particular reason at all.
One response to grasping is purging ourselves of things, which can be a healthy process of relieving a heavy burden -- but it can also be a thoughtless process of getting rid of stuff thoughtlessly from being overwhelmed, stressed out, or out of patience -- an “enough already!” response.
However, our Smithsonianesque tendencies also offer a solution: curation strategies, such as culling, preserving memories, using staging nests, and putting things on display, have helped me let go of my things thoughtfully and sanely and to appreciate the treasures that I've kept.