It's supposedly the most depressing day of the year today.

But don't worry - we've got pictures of some of the cutest animals to cheer you up on this miserable Blue Monday.

The term is used to describe the third Monday of January, which is thought to be the most depressing day of the year.

It's apparently a combination of the weather, debt problems, low motivation, a return to work after Christmas and abandoned New Year resolutions .

Adorable: Hopefully this polar bear rolling on a frozen lake will cheer you up if you're feeling down (

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Getty)
Aww: Two yellow ducklings cuddle up close to a tiny rabbit in this adorable photograph (

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Getty)

A recent study found that 77% of adults start January with a positive mindset but by the end of the month 85% have already given up their hopeful outlook.

Almost half blame the drop in their mood on the cold, wet and dreary weather getting the better of them.

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One in six find it difficult to stay positive as their money starts to run out, with payday still weeks away.

Despite the research there isn't actually any valid proof that Blue Monday is real - and a new study revealed that 85% of people don't know when it is while a third had never heard of it.

Affectionate: Two red squirrels go in for a kiss in this sweet picture that will definitely make you feel happier (

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Rex)
Love: A mother orangutan looks after her young and gives it a big kiss on the lips (

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Getty)

It was a concept first coined in 2005 by a holiday company as part of a marketing campaign to get potential customers to start thinking about summer holidays.

The press release claimed to have scientific research, including equations to back up the claims, however they were later debunked by scientists, it's reported.

Dean Burnett, a doctor of neuroscience and Cardiff University lecturer, writing in a column in the Guardian, said: "It is unscientific. It is pseudoscientific. It is uberpseudoscientific."

And not everyone finds themselves feeling down at this time of year - only a fifth of Brits say January is their least favourite month.

Triplets: A trio of baby fennec foxes will surely beat away those January blues (

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Getty)
Lovable: Look at this King Penguin spreading its wings as it waddles around in the Falkland Islands (

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Barcroft Media)

Instead, with sales, new starts, holidays and Christmas money to spend, it seems as though we have much to look forward to.

In a national survey of 2,000 Brits facilitated by Mini Babybel Light, half of people said random acts of kindness tops the list of things that make us joyful in January.

Other responses included going on holiday, seeing friends and family and having a positive attitude.

A fifth said that other people's negatives attitude was to blame for dampening their positive outlooks on January.

Striking: This red panda, called Sumire, at the Shizuoka Municipal Nihondaira Zoo in Shizuoka, Japan, stands out from the rest (

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Getty)
What's so funny?: A young bonobo bursts out laughing and it's super cute (

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Getty)

However, many of us are left feeling blue at this time of the year and there are things you can do cheer you up.

As well as our 10 super cute pictures of animals, you could also try taking up something new, meet up with a friend or go for a walk.

One study claims that knitting can boost your mood with 82% reporting feeling happier when they do, according to a joint study by the University of Exeter Medical School and De Agostini Publishing.

Or if you're feeling flash you could book a summer holiday or hit those January sales.

For more ideas we've got a list of 21 ways to brighten up the saddest day of the year here.

All the feels: A woman holds a tiny newborn kitten as it struggles to open its eyes (

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Getty)