The Chinese abacus is really just a sophisticated finger-counting device that provides a fast accurate way to do arithmetic. The only problems they do this with are the ones they have seen before. Speed is not a measure of ability, it is the result of experience and practice. Doing math is like speaking a foreign language. When you are fluent you don't think about vocabulary or grammar, it is a part of your thoughts and feelings.
New concepts take time to learn and it is easy to get frustrated.
It simply takes time and it really helps to try more than once. Solving problems involves both resting and working intensely. Self confidence is one of the most important determining factors in mathematical performance. Math anxiety means that any contact with figures can produce an unpleasant emotional reaction and become a reminder of what you feel you can't do. It is natural to try to avoid math so as not to experience these feelings.