In his book, Play Well With Others, Eric Barker writes:

“One of the biggest contributors to our happiness is our relationships. A study found a better social life was the happiness equivalent of an extra $131,232 a year. […] When you see yourself as part of a group, a family, or a team, problems get smaller and the joys become more frequent. When we know we’re not alone, life becomes more beautiful and gathers us into the dance”.

For me, self-love is one of the necessary ingredients for feeling connected to others. Without self-love, we might let fear and judgement of ourselves override the possibility of feeling connected.