Arithmetic for me. It was always a struggle in school, as the demand to 'show your work' was painful and slow. I understand that it was to help the teachers see where you were making mistakes, but the numbers did things in my head that didn't conform to that process. Math homework took hours every night, and I learned to hate it with every fiber of my being.
As an adult, I was able to let that reflexive loathing go and just let the numbers do their thing, and it's great! I get correct answers with no stress. Schools, by their very structure, tend to inculcate the idea that there is one correct way to do things. While helpful in certain circumstances, it can make a person neurotic.
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Am I understanding correctly that you are talking about the process happening in your head when doing an arithmetic operation?
It almost sounds like you feel the answer or are you just doing calculations in a way that feels right to you?