A simple phenomenological approach for metastable states is proposed, which allows one to calculate explicit dependence of the Gibbs free energy on temperature, T. In this scheme the heat capacity (in units of Boltzmann's constant k) is at low temperatures c p -T I T 0 (T 0 is some constant) and a thermodynamic barrier, dividing metastable and unstable states is proportional to (7] -Τ) 3 ' 2 (Τι is the temperature of the absolute instability). Thermodynamic stability under conditions of mechanical loading is considered. Dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient on temperature is analysed also.The influence of a heating (cooling) rate on the measured dynamical heat capacity, c, is investigated. At low rates c = T/T 0 , at high heating rates c = T 2 /2T 0 T t τ (T t is the heating (cooling) rate, τ is a relaxation time).