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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29740
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I suggest taking a few steps in order to abstract your identification with the character by one level:

First, define the character by their traits and backstory (which may contain the reasons for said traits). Make note of differences between them and yourself.

Second, look for connection points between their experience and yours. Even if you're very different people on the surface, most writers can't help but find something of themselves in every character they create. If you struggle, find partial parallels to guess what a situation might be like. For example, if you've never been beaten up, but you've felt physical pain, have been verbally attacked and have felt pain and panic, you may be able to assemble an approximate feeling for the situation. These are the entry points for you to empathise with the character.

Third, try to apply the character's experience to yourself by not just imagining what the current you would do or feel in a situation but how having had their relevant experiences would change your feelings and decisions.

This way you can leverage your ability to project yourself into a situation in order to improve your character writing, or at least that's how I usually do it.

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